The Tesseract
by Rune-Spirit
Summary: (KaibaxTéa) Téa is kidnapped and it's up to eveyone to save her. Enemies must team up to survive and eveyone soon learns that things aren't always what they seem. Longer summary and pairings inside. The adventures finally really starting to pick up in cha
1. A Strange Morning

RS: Hi everybody! Waves enthusiastically

Zander: Yo… ok, I have no idea what happens in this fic. I just woke up here… care to fill me in?

RS: Well… it's not The Winx Club, but your still not gonna like it…

Zander: suspicious… Oh?

RS: Your gonna think it has way too much romance.

Zander: Well, that wouldn't be a problem if you didn't any romance.

RS: Oh, who asked you?

Zander: I think you did.

RS: Whatever… look, this is my first Yu-Gi-Oh! fiction. I haven't even seen that many episodes, so characters are mostly based on other fanfictions I've read. This story will start out rather in descriptive and fast paced, and that may or may not change. Here is a more in depth summary and the pairings:

**Summary:** Tea is kidnapped and taken to another world. It's up to Kaiba, Mokuba, Yami, Yugi, Bakura, Ryou, Malik, Marik, Tristan, Joey, Mai, Serenity, Duke, and Isis to rescue her. Why did they all show up? Well… they didn't really have a choice. And now the only way to get out of this mess is to help find Tea. Trouble is around every corner, and it's impossible to tell whom you can and cannot trust. Pent-up feelings are released and everyone is learning that things aren't always what they seem.

**Pairings:** SetoxTeaxAzumamaro  
TristanxSerenityxDuke  
TristanxSerenity  
JoeyxMai  
RyouxIsis (Ryou crush)  
MokubaxSerenity (Mokuba crush)  
Yugi/YamixTea (Past Yugi/Yami crush)  
Yami MarikxTea (Yami Marik crush)  
HarukichixYami Bakura (Harukichi crush)

Zander: ok, I've seen just as much of this show as you have, but I've never heard of Azumamaro or Harukichi.

RS: I was getting to that. Look, the villains are OCs, with actual Japanese names. The pairings may be changed if you give me good reason to do so. However, don't say 'It should be DukexSerenity 'cause TristanxSerenity sucks!' That's just stupid. Supply me with a good reason and maybe I'll look into it. Anyway, let the story begin.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… I _do_ own Yu-Gi-Oh! I _do_ own Yu-Gi-Oh! I _do_ own Yu-Gi-Oh! Lawyers with machine guns pop out Ehehehe… I mean ahem: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**A Strange Morning**

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEE- ah, the beauty that is silence. Téa Gardner is NOT a morning person. Rolling over, she shut her eyes and sighed contently. _'Who knew my bed was so damn comfortable?'_ She was slowly lulling back to her blissful slumber. She was almost there…

"Téa! Get Up!" Her mom threw open the door and ripped the covers off of her. Of course, shock factor was forgotten. Hence, the confused look Téa received, when she hit the ground with a loud thump.

"I'm up! I'm up!" The teenaged girl battled her heart, willing it to slow down and stop trying to explode from her chest. Looking up, she glared at her mother, "Must you?" She received only one word as an answer.

"School." And with that, her mother left the young girl's bedroom. Téa quickly pulled on her risqué uniform and entered the bathroom. After she finished, she ran downstairs and nibbled the breakfast her mother had prepared for her: two pieces of buttered toast and a makeshift mocha chino, which was really coffee, milk, and chocolate syrup.

"Téa! What are you still doing here? It's time to go!" Her mother chastised her from the stairs and sent the brunette flying out the door, after grabbing her backpack of course. Téa ran down the sidewalk and skidded to a stop. She couldn't just waltz into oncoming traffic, you know. Suddenly, a sleek black limo pulled up in front of her. The passenger rolled down the window. _'Of all the people to run into, why did it have to be him? Ok, calm down Téa. It's just an itty-bitty crush. It'll go away soon… I hope.'_

"If you're searching for your pet Chihuahua, you're doing horribly. The mutt probably went running after an ice-cream truck." _'Grrr… that jerk! Gorgeous or not he still has no right to be so… ugh!'_

"Who asked you, Kaiba? And Joey's _not_ a Chihuahua." Téa spat back. He only smirked in return before putting on a face of mock innocence.

"I was only trying to help." She just ignored him and walked past the limo. Of course, at that point in time the wind decided to give a hearty blow and her skirt lifted itself even higher, if that were possible. The multimillionaire took the opportunity to inspect her gracefully long legs. He may have been cold, but he was still human, male, and straight. He was now appreciative as well. Kaiba ordered his limo to take him the rest of the way to school. As he pulled away, the boy threw one last remark before rolling up his window, "Better hurry, Gardner, or you'll be late." She glanced down at her watch.

"Shit!" And with that she took of running, even faster than before. The CEO chuckled as he watched her disappear from sight through the tinted glass. His face soon straightened into a slightly sad one. His heart gave a slight pull. _'Grrr… get it through your thick head! You do _not _like Gardner. She's an annoying, self-righteous cheerleader and you want nothing to do with her. You. Do. Not. Like. Her.'_ He turned his attention to the school that was now coming into view. As the limo slowed to a stop he took a deep breath. Kaiba exited and walked through the thick doors of the school, throwing cold glares at anyone he could. As he pulled the metal handle he witnessed a young girl come speeding into the schoolyard and mentally chortled. _'She's fast when she has initiative.'_ And, with that thought, the door swung closed. (An: I am fully aware of OOCness, but it's necessary, sorry.)

The girl Kaiba had witnessed threw her back against a tree as air filled her burning lungs. And to think, she still had… _'TWENTY MINUTES?!?!?!?! What a great time for my watch to be fast. No wonder this place seems so empty. The guys won't be here for at least another ten minutes, maybe fifteen…'_

"Good morning, Téa." The brunette jumped a foot into the air and returned to the ground hyperventilating. She was greeted by lighthearted chuckling.

"Ryou, you scared me!" She gave him a playful swat on the shoulder, "Please don't do that again. What are you doing here this early? School doesn't start for another nineteen minutes."

"I'm always here this early. What's your excuse?" The albino joked as she held up her wrist and shook it.

"My watch ran fast this morning." Téa gave him a cheeky grin.

"Ah, so that explains it. So, what's up?"

"Not much. How 'bout you?"

"The same as usual… Shut-up!"

"Um… I didn't say anything… is it Bakura?"

"Yes." Ryou gave a solemn nod, "He doesn't seem to think I should be 'wasting my time with the likes of you', no offense."

"None taken."

"Hey guys, wassup?"

"Hey Tristan! I was just talking to Ryou. Why are you here this early, it's so unlike you guys."

"Well… I don't really know."

"Yo, guys! Sup?"

"Hi Joey." The threesome chorused to the blonde.

"Hello."

"Hiya Yug!" Joey greeted his best friend enthusiastically.

"Hey, what about me?"

"Hi Duke." Téa welcomed as the final member of their quaint little group arrived. Unbeknownst to them, three sets of dark eyes followed their every move.

The first set was a deep blue, cobalt color that shone with envy. He wanted what they had. He wanted to be carefree, to have fun, like his brother. He also wanted her, even if he refused to fully admit it. _'Can I really blame myself?'_ he mused, _'She's undeniably attractive, every guy in the school keeps at least one eye on her. She's definitely fun to be around… not that anyone else will ever know I think that.'_

The second pair was amethyst. And they fell upon the group with deep desire. He loathed them all, except for her. He liked her. A lot. _'She should be with me, not those detestable losers. One day, soon, she will be. I'm sure to find someway to convince her.'_

The final pair did not just watch the group. They glowed brightly as they fell on each boy with a burning hatred. Their red color deepened with a boiling rage as she through her arms around two of the boys' necks in a joking fashion and continued to speak. His lust caused his blood colored eyes to shine as he watched her. He wanted her, deeper than either of her other two suitors. But, he wanted her for all the wrong reasons… He was the only one who knew there were more eyes watching her every move. _'They shall soon regret their actions. She belongs to me. She is my property. They have no right to watch her in such a way as they are. They will pay dearly.'_

**End Chapter

* * *

**

RS: I know, I know. I'm off to a super slow start. But, this _is_ my first Yu-Gi-Oh! fic and it _is_ rather difficult to write fanfiction. Kaiba kind of has to be OOC in my story, sorry guys.

Zander: This story really did suck.

RS: Oh, who asked you? Anyway, leave reviews, please. Flames… could be accepted, I suppose. But, try to put your criticism nicely. That will be all, latas!


	2. School's Out

RS: Hiya! This chappy may not be any better than my last one but who cares.

Zander: The people stuck reading it care…

RS: Refresh my memory… when did I ask for your opinion?

Zander: … Bite me.

RS: Eww, no. That'd be nasty… however my new pet man-eating worm would beg to differ. (Releases worm) Run Zander, run!

Zander: (Runs away screaming)

RS: Iiiiittt'sssssss shout-out time!

Zander: (Still Running)

Peneia Teke- Thanks a bunch! Which 'suitor' did you figure out? I think I know, though… update your fic soon!

Anime-AngelWings- Thanks you so much! I'm glad you like it. I think I should be able to update yet again before school starts, but I make no promises.

Peeps- Thanks! Here is the next chapter; I think it's better than my last one.

yingfacherryblossom- Thank you for the great review. Your right, three guys are a lot. She definitely should watch her back…

Sarah1281- Thanks! I wasn't really going for funny, but maybe I'll think about adding a little humor into the story, if it's really all that funny. I hate how people dislike Téa, same with 003 on Cyborg 009…

RS: without further ado, on with the story!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**School's out**

It had been a rather uneventful day. Téa went about as usual, and so did everyone else. And, as usual, Téa was watching the clock, begging for the bell to ring and send her home. _'Come on… come on…'_

"Téa, perhaps you would like to answer the question?"

"W-wha?"

"When did the revolutionary war take place?" the teacher clarified, annoyance lacing his voice.

"It… was in… um… it was i-"

**BBBBRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!**

_'Saved by the bell! 2:25, the greatest time of day.'_ All students rushed out, not bothering to hear what her answer was. No one really cared, anyway.

"Téa! Hey Téa! Wait-up, girl!" She turned to greet her pointy-haired friend.

"Hi Tristan, are you guys still up for after school?"

"Yeah, meet at the game shop at 3:00?"

"Got it!"

"Great! See ya later."

"Bye!" She called out as her raced down the hall.

"Don't you losers have anything better to do than spend your time dumbing each other down in a third-rate game shop?" _'Damn it she's gorgeous… why can't she be fat and ugly?'_

"What do you want now, Kaiba?" _'My god he's hot… why can't he be fat and ugly?'_

"Tch, what could I possibly want from you?" _'A date… or maybe five… or fifteen… dozen… ugh, I sound like a pathetic, sniveling puppy.'_

"Well, then why are you wasting both my time and yours?" _'Ask me out, please! I'm begging you! Ugh… listen to yourself girl your pathetic. You seriously need to get a life OUTSIDE the guys.'_

"Because, you obviously have nothing better to do if you hang out with those losers. Not that I'm insulting your kind…"

"My kind?"

"You know, the stupid and uncivilized breed. AKA, you, the shrimp, the mutt, and the other one."

"Ugh, I can't waste anymore time on you, Kaiba. I have to go."

"What?" He smirked cunningly, "I don't even get a goodbye?"

"Bite me." _'Well,'_ he subconsciously thought, _'I gladly would if- WOAH! Hold on! Where the hell did that come from and when did my mind jump into the gutter!?!? I'm turning into a testosterone fueled freak… great.'_ He had been so rapped up with his inner battle, that he hadn't noticed her flouncing away.

**Meanwhile**

"Oh… that stupid Kaiba… thinks he's so much better than the rest of us… with his stupid company… and his stupi- umph!" two people hit the ground with a thud, "Heh, sorry 'bout that!" Téa apologized before looking up, "I wasn't looking where… I was… going?" Her words ended as a questioning squeak. She blinked slowly, to check if what she was seeing was real. Blink. It was. The other person on the ground smirked before getting up, dusting themselves off, and offering Téa a hand.

"Don't mention it." Their voice had a cocky bite as they spoke.

"Malik!?!?" _'What is **he** doing here?!?!'_

"Correction, Marik. My hikari isn't in control right this moment."

"Wha-… how… Why are you here?" Her guard was up.

"'cause you bumped into me." _'God, she's stunning.'_

"That's not what I meant." His smirk widened.

"I know what you meant."

"Why aren't you in Egypt?" He smirked a few more seconds before his face contorted into an angry scowl.

"Better hurry Téa. You don't want to be late meeting your friends." Marik spat the last word with extra venom before storming away in a silent rage. _'Friends who don't deserve to have you!'_

"Hey!" Téa yelled after him, "How'd you know about that?" He was already gone from sight by the time she finished.

"Jerk." She muttered before glancing at her watch. "Welp," she sighed, "better get goin." Téa picked herself up and began to walk away. (An: I did mean to say 'welp')

**Meanwhile**

_'What **was** Marik doing here? And what was with the strange way he looked at Téa? Grr… he had better not touch my girl, or I'll- woah! Time out! When did I start referring to Gardner as 'Téa', let alone 'my girl'? Oh yeah… when I was daydreaming about her during history class. The thought of being alone in a dark room with her made that the best fifth period ever… STOP! Get a hold of yourself! Do you realize that you not only wasted work time observing Gardner and Ishtar, but are now wasting even more by contemplating it?'_

He entered his limousine and gave the driver his orders while shutting the door.

_'Of course, it doesn't help that she's in EVERY FREAKIN' ONE OF MY FREAKIN' PERIODS! I hope no one noticed me staring at her… ugh. I need to work, there has **got **to be a way to get my mind off of her…'_

Kaiba flipped open his laptop and began to type out stock market stuff that I do not understand. Although, it didn't work very well since all he could type was either 'Téa' or 'Death to Marik'. So, needless to say, he didn't get very much work done.

**Meanwhile**

' _Grr… Does that stuck-up, rich snob think I didn't notice him watching us? Does he think I don't mind him looking at my girl as if she were his? If he dares to touch her he may end up with every bone in his body broken… or better yet, he may find himself taking up permanent residence in the shadow realm. Téa Gardner is mine and if Seto Kaiba continues to gaze at her the way he was earlier, things will not be pleasant for him or his younger brother…'_

Marik stopped walking, just long enough to send a death glare at the passing limo.

'_Watch your back… Kaiba-boy'_ Marik remembered hearing Pegasus's old nickname for his newfound rival, and used it.

**Meanwhile**

Isis rushed through the museum, searching for the nearest phone. Finding it, she quickly dialed the number.

"Hello, this is Isis Ishtar. Is Yugi Mouto available?… Thank you… Hello, Yugi?… This is Isis… Yugi, something terrible is about to happen… I will come to the game shop at 3:45 and will be sending others as well… Such as Ryou, Tristan, Joey, and Téa… Good, keep your friends there… All right, I will see you later… Oh, and Yugi… keep a close watch on Téa… I will explain later… yes, goodbye."

Isis hung up the phone. _'One call down, ten- well, seven to go.'_ She picked up the phone and began dialing the next number.

"Hello, this is Isis Ishtar. Is Bakura Ryou available?…"

**Meanwhile**

"She knows, Harukichi."

"Yes, I heard master."

"I will be taking the girl today."

"Are you sure? It does not sound wise to do so in broad daylight, especially since it will not fit into your original plan."

"Do not question me, Harukichi."

"Forgive me master."

"I know it is not as planned, but it must be done." His voice softened slightly, "She belongs to me."

"Of course. No one deserves her as much as you do, master."

"Yes…" He spoke thoughtfully, before the steel returned to his voice, "Wait for me here. I shall be back later."

"Yes master." A portal opened in the wall and the owner of the deep voice stepped through.

**End Chapter

* * *

**

RS: And there you have it folks, that was chapter two of 'The Tesseract'. People growl a lot while they think in this story… Oh well, whatever. Leave me lots of good reviews! Chao!

Zander: (Still Running)


	3. Death to Cellular Phones

RS: Hey! It's 9:26, and I didn't sleep all night! You know when your body's ready to collapse but your mind is hotwired and buzzing with action? Well, if you don't, you are one extremely blessed soul. I am so having lots and lots of coffee this morning. In other news, I finally took my man-eating worm and put it back in its cage. Zander is resting 'cause the chase really took a lot outta him.

Zander: (out cold)

RS: … and now for something completely different! Shout-outs:

yami1: I'm sorry it was so hard to follow; I was under the impression that it was painfully obvious. Then again, I already know what's gonna happen in the story... Anyway, the blue-eyed one was Kaiba and the amethyst-eyed one was Marik. The third 'suitor' is a surprise. Sorry for the confusion. I'm glad you like the story; I worked really hard on it. I definitely plan to continue… for now at least! (Winks)

peeps: Wow… thanks for the great review. It's a good thing winter break gives me just enough time to post one more chapter, and maybe more!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Death to Cellular Phones**

Téa walked quickly down the sidewalk, fully taking in the glorious day. Actually, if one were to merely glance at the young girl, they would think she was running. Her speedy pace was inherited from her father, as was her ability to sleep through nearly anything. But, that's far beside the point. As Téa traveled home her eyes witnessed the sleek limo passing by. She did her best to ignore it and the feeling that bloomed in the pit of her stomach. Well, actually, the feeling was more like that of a rock being dropped than something blooming, but you get the picture. She was thankful for the distraction when her phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered brightly.

"Téa? It's Serenity." A soft voice erupted from the other end. ((An: Ha! I'll bet you thought it was Isis, but you were wrong! Not sure what the point of that outburst was…))

"Hey, what's up? Did you give any thought to what I told you last week?" Yes, it was true. They had conversed for quite a while a few days ago, Joey's younger sister being in dire need of advise.

Serenity had called at about six. She knew Téa's family either ate inhumanly early, such as at four o'clock, or inhumanly late, like nine. So, she knew she wouldn't catch her at a bad time. Téa had been relaxing and daydreaming… about a certain blue-eyed CEO. True, she had at one point harbored feelings for the ancient pharaoh Yami, but that was done with. Like most secret crushes, once she got over the initial shock of being attracted to the person, and figured out what she did and didn't like about him, it faded. She gradually became less uncomfortable around him, until her feelings had completely vanished. Soon, Yami became just another one of the guys. Although, he'd never be one of **the** guys, since that titled was reserved for Yugi, Tristan, and Joey, and Yugi, Tristan, and Joey alone.

After answering the phone and hearing her usually perky friend sounding so confused and forlorn, Téa was shocked, to say the least. She allowed Serenity to spill her feelings and was not surprised to hear what the inevitable problem was. The poor girl was bound to hear something like this sooner or later. Better sooner than later. It was common knowledge that Tristan Taylor and Duke Devlin were having an all out war over Serenity Wheeler's affection. And the young girl had kept quite about her own opinion, until now. Serenity breathlessly rambled on and on about how annoying it was and how she wished they would just ask her who she had a crush on instead of pointlessly arguing. All of which sparked the unavoidable question of whom she had chosen. Her shy answer: Tristan.

Apparently, she had overheard Duke talking to one of his friends, with whom neither she nor the rest of their little group was acquainted. Serenity now knew the truth. Duke Devlin was interested in her for three extremely superficial reasons: She was hot, she was naïve, and someone else wanted her. He was just another loser looking for a good time. She was fully intent on giving him a piece of her mind, when someone else decided to do it for her. Duke was heavily lectured on how amazing Serenity was, and how she shouldn't be sold short. He was told how undeserving he was and how he had no right to come after her with such sleazy intensions. "Dude, you're an awesome duelist and an ok friend, but when it comes to dating, you're a shallow bastard." And, with that final remark, her savior stalked off in a huff. Of course, who better to come to her rescue than Tristan Taylor himself?

Funny thing was, before hearing Tristan say all those wonderful things about her, she had been harboring feelings for **Mokuba Kaiba **of all people. Apparently she had thought he was adorable and had the usual fourteen-year-old crush. She somehow found him intriguing, despite his being four years younger than she. Serenity had nearly acted upon these feelings, and would have, if not for Duke's treachery and Tristan heroics. After the amazing speech she'd witnessed her feelings towards the diminutive boy vanished in a puff of smoke. She came to terms with the fact that it had been nothing more than a minor crush, similar to her first one, on a boy in her school by the name of Sota Higurashi, which had lasted approximately four months. ((An: I do not own Inuyasha)) Her tenderness now focused on Tristan.

"Yes, Téa. I gave what you said a lot of thought." Serenity had been instructed to take action, talk to Tristan. Téa argued that they both liked one another, so there shouldn't be a problem. Besides, Joey would be much happier to hear of his little sister having relations with his closest, most trusted friend rather than some complete stranger.

"So? Are you gonna tell me or do I have to give you the third degree?" Téa joked light heartedly, her melodious laugh floating lightly through the crisp, autumn air. Serenity took a deep breath.

"I'm going to take your advice. I'm telling Tristan the next chance I get." The emerald-eyed girl squealed with excitement.

"That's great, Ren!" The other girl exclaimed, using one of her many nicknames, which also included 'Seren'', ''Renity', and 'Copper Locks'. The last one was obviously derived from her hair color.

"I know! Gosh, I'm so excited… and totally ready to get this done. I'm really ready to do it today. Should I call him?"

"No, definitely not. This is something very sensitive, and should be done face to face. I'll even give you some insider info. We're all meeting at the game shop at three. We'll be there all day."

"Really? Thanks a million Téa! I'll head over right away."

"Okay then," Téa chuckled, "I'll see you soon."

"Bye T'!" Serenity called upon one of the girls many nicknames, which also included 'Tay' and 'Stix'. 'Stix' was actually joke nickname Serenity had picked up while some gang members were hitting on her friend. Upon further explanation, they discovered that the boys had been describing her shapely dancers' legs, not to mention the fact that she was as skinny as a stick. The guys once joked that if she turned sideways she'd disappear, except for her womanly assets. Unfortunatly for them, she overheard. They had gone through a world of hurt.

"See ya later, Serenity." The girls hung up simultaneously.

Téa took a deep breath of fresh air. Well, she was in the middle of doing so when her phone rang once more. She answered.

"Hello?"

"Téa?"

"Marik!?!?!?" _'Why am I constantly running into him? Hell, forget that, why is he calling me? This is just too confusing!'_

"Hey. 'Sup?" ((An: Forgive me, but at this moment Marik must be trés suave and trés ooc.**::IMPORTANT::** It was important for Marik to be obsessive, as you will soon see. Things work better that way.))

"Um… I don't mean to sound rude," _'Yes, actually, I do!'_ "But, why are you calling me? And, why are you even in Domino City?"

"I'm living with my sister again, as you've probably guessed. She decided we needed a change of scenery so we moved here. I'm calling you because you're the only person I know here." _'That I like.'_ He added silently.

"No I'm not. You also know Yugi, Bakura, Tristan, Kaiba… need I go on?" _'Ok girl, just ignore the way your stomach flopped when you said 'Kaiba'. Just pretend it didn't happen. C'mon, I'm begging you!'_

"Fine, you're the only likable person I know."

"'Likable'? Tolerable I could semi-expect, but 'Likable'? You've definitely changed since we last met." _'Why is he so different?'_

"Oh, believe me, I haven't changed **that** much." _'I wanted you back then too. This is no new development. Which is partially why that CEO can't have you…'_

"Um… ok, whatever. So, why are you calling anyone at all?"

"Can't a guy request a tour guide without getting the third degree?"

"Tour guide? I didn't realize you needed someone to show you around Domino. I guess I can help…"

"Great. Can we hang out later, then?"

"Um… no. Not today, sorry. I'm hanging out with the guys. Tomorrow?"

"Sure. Tomorrow works." _'Damn them! Those creeps she calls her friends are almost as undeserving as Kaiba is… almost.'_

"Cool… hey, um… can I ask you one more thing?"

"What?"

"What was with the odd behavior earlier? You were cool and collected one minute, then you just stalked away. What was up?"

"… Jetlag, made me moody." _'Plus, I noticed that slimy creep with his eyes all over you.'_

"Um, ok then." _'I don't buy it!'_ "Guess I'll see you tomorrow… when do you start school?"

"Monday."

"Uh, sweet. I'll see you around then. Bye!"

"Goodbye." Téa quickly hung-up before he could change his mind about saying good-bye and keep talking.

_'That… was unexpected. Something isn't right with Marik. Maybe I can coax it out of him tomorrow. Oh well. I'd be-' _she was cut off by the sound of her cell-phone. _'Not another call! If it's Marik again I may scream.'_

"Hello?" She sighed out in annoyance.

"Gardner?" _'Shit, Kaiba!'_

"Kaiba? Why are **you** calling me?" _'Uh-oh, stomach flop!'_

"I just got a call from Isis."

"… So?"

"She said to watch out for you."

"Really? How come?" _'Why wasn't I informed?'_

"I was hoping you could tell me" _'Hide the worry from your voice… Hide the worry from your voice…'_

"Awwww… don't tell me that the great Seto Kaiba cares about what happens to poor, little ol' me, now?" There was a long silence. "Um… wow, Kaiba. I'm… I mean… thanks." _'Oh. My. God. He** cares**! Yes!'_

"Yeah… well… whatever. I only care because it may have something to do with the Egyptian God cards. Don't get used to it." _'That's right, Seto. Just keep telling yourself that and it'll come true. She'll never see you sweat. Great… I'm talking to myself now. This day just keeps getting better and better.'_

"Still, thanks. It's been a while since it really felt like someone cared. I mean, I know my friends do, but they only count for so much… anyway, I'm sure you have more important matters to attend to, so I'll stop boring you with my useless inner thoughts. Good bye, Kaiba." As she hung up, he listened to the click and her ears picked up a faint beeping noise. _'God, now I'm telling him my deepest feelings. He must think I'm an idiot.'_

She shook her head and began to walk home. Began being the key word, because her cell phone soon rang for a fourth time. _'You have** got** to be kidding me!!!! Note to self: destroy all cellular phones.'_

"Hello?" This time, Téa answered it with more than slight annoyance.

"Téa?" A timid voice echoed from the other end of the line.

"Oh, hi Yugi. Why are you calling me? We're seeing eachother…" Her eyes widened as she glanced down at her watch, "twenty minutes ago!?!? Oh Yugi, I am so sorry! I didn't mean for it to get so late, I mean, first I'm talking to Serenity, then Marik calls, and then, by some freak of nature, Kaiba calls too! I am so sorry! And, ugh, I'm still pretty much at the same point I started at!"

"Woah, hold on a second dere!" Joey's voice now came through. "Marik n' ol' moneybags called ya? How come?"

"Ugh it's a long story. I'll tell you guys when I get there."

"'Kay. By da way, lots mo' people have been showin' up."

"Really? Like who?"

"Well, Mai, Devlin, Ryou… get dis, moneybags came wit Mokuba! N'… HOLY SHIT, YA WEREN'T LYIN'!"

"Joey!?!? What happened?!?!"

"I tought yous was makin' it up, Téa, but ya're right. Marik is here!"

"Well, as you now know, I wasn't 'makin' it up'. Anyone else?"

"Yeah, my sis', but she says she's got somethin' she needs ta do, but can't 'till ya get 'ere. Hey, Isis just walked in too. She's da one dat sent everyone 'ere. Do you know why?"

"No, Joey, I don't. Tell Serenity I'll be there as soon as possible. See ya in a few, bye!" Téa hung-up, and was fully prepared to sprint towards the game shop when she noticed a shadow looming over her.

An earsplitting scream echoed through Domino City. If only the streets hadn't been empty, perhaps someone may have heard it…

* * *

**End of Chapter**

RS: Ooh… and evil cliffy! Leave lots of reviews! I must admit, I'm very proud of myself. I wrote 7½ pages in 1 day! And, to top it off, I'm updating 2 days in a row! This is very special; I've never done this before! I'm really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really proud of myself. Leave lotsa reviews. Please do not point out how many authors always do what I am so proud for doing. Chao!


	4. Preperation

RS: All right! I'm back with an 11-page chapter baby, and that's not including the author's notes. I can accomplish a lot over winter break… kay, lets just do the shout-outs and then jump straight into the fic!

yingfacherryblossom: Well, they are really upset. You'll see… Thanks for the awesome review.

Veronica: Congrats, you're about to meet her infamous kidnapper! Thank you for your great review.

Sarah1281: Wow, thanks! I didn't realize my writing was all that funny! This chapter definitely isn't filled with the same humor, but it's longer and, in my opinion, more interesting. I hope to have them admit their feelings soon, but I make no promises. Here is something I will tell you though **::SPOILER::** Téa doesn't meet up with the group again until the very end of the story. **::END SPOILER::** Thanks again!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Preperation**

Téa was running down the sidewalk as fast as her legs could carry her, heart pounding as her sneakers skidded around the corner.

_'Oh, what I would give to see Kaiba's arrogant face come around that corner. Hell, even Marik or Pegasus will do! C'mon you're almost there… just keep running a little longer…'_ This girl's destination was within her view; she had almost made it to the game shop. Almost. Arms rapped around her a few yards from her goal. Téa's last conscious thought was screaming as the arms pulled her away.

**Meanwhile**

"What's this all about Isis?" Kaiba asked in his usual, cold tone.

"I cannot tell you until Téa arrives."

"How come? Is she alright?" Yugi's worried voice filled the air.

"If all does not go well, she may not be. When is the last time each of you spoke with Téa?"

"Yug n' I spoke wit 'er on da phone. She told us dat she had jus' talked ta Serenity, Marik, n' Kaiba."

"Is this true?" Isis regarded the three people Joey mentioned.

"Yes," Serenity said nodding, "our talk was pretty short, though. Was there something wrong with her, because she sounded normal?"

"Why did you call her?" Serenity blushed at the question.

"She's been giving me advice. I was calling to tell her what I had decided to do about… what she was advising me on." _'Please take that as an answer, Isis!'_ The girl silently pleaded. The Egyptian seemed to sense her need for secrecy and decided to accept Serenity's words.

"I see. What about you, Mr. Kaiba? Did she sound different when you called? What was the purpose of your call?"

"Yeah, moneybags, why were ya callin' ma friend?"

"Why is that important?"

"Please, just answer the question."

"Yeah!"

"I called to see if she knew anything about why Isis was calling, she didn't. And, yes, she sounded as normal as Gardner gets." _'Why is this insult bothering me more than it should? I insult people all the time, this shouldn't be any different.'_

"Marik?" Isis looked expectantly at her younger brother.

"She sounded normal… You know why I called." He added the last part quietly. True, Isis knew about Marik's feelings toward Téa, but she thought it was just his first crush. She wasn't aware that her brother was just short of obsessive over the beautiful brunette.

"Well, the rest of us don't." Kaiba pointed out. _'Perfect,'_ he thought, _'I can find out if he's really interested in Téa. If he is, her friends will loose it and jump him. If she isn't, then he isn't standing in my way. I win either way!' _((An: My god he sounds evil. Don't worry, he isn't ;P)) Yes, you heard- er… read right. Kaiba had admitted to himself that he had feelings for Téa. He also found out that if he thought of all the things he liked about her, he got poetic and lost track of time… but, that's beside the point. And, he was trying to forget that embarrassing little tidbit.

"Eh wonya somon ta sew my rons."

"What?" Kaiba asked, a disgusted look on his face.

"I wanted someone to show me around!" The boy yelled.

"Hey!" Joey yelled angrily, whilst standing up roughly, "Why'd ya call Téa for somethin' like dat? You coulda called anyone!"

"And get stuck with someone like you?" Marik snorted.

"Hey, I oughta-"

"Big brother, please!" Serenity interjected, "We aren't here to fight." Everyone calmed down and two minutes later, conversation started up once more.

"Why are you asking all these questions about Téa?" inquired Ryou in a confused fashion.

"You told me over the phone that something bad's gonna happen. What does Téa have to do with it? Is she gonna be alright?"

"I don't know, Yugi. How long does it usually take to get here?"

"Well, if she isn't running, it usually takes about another five minutes. But if she runs the whole way, she'll get here… right about now." Tristan explained.

"Really?" Asked Mokuba. But, as Tristan opened his mouth to answer, a feminine scream was faintly heard.

"What the hell was that?!" Duke exclaimed. Everyone's eyes met.

"TÉA!"

"Wait here, Mokuba!" Kaiba called out as he, and the rest of the group, rushed out of the game shop to the young girl's aid.

"But Seto-"

"I said stay!" The door swung shut.

The group finally arrived at the scene of the crime. They knew that they were at the right place, because they had come across one very important artifact: Téa's bright yellow backpack. Its contents were spilled out across the pavement and it was obvious that she had fought someone… and lost.

"Let's look around, they couldn't have gotten far, we only heard the scream a few seconds ago." Mai ordered.

"Well, what do we look for? Her n' her attacker aren't just gonna be sitting out in the open!" Duke exclaimed.

"Just look for something out of the ordinary!" Mai demanded.

The group searched for a long while, after informing Mokuba about what they knew and closing down the shop to discourage interruption. Finally something happened.

"Uh… g-guys. You said to search for something that's not normal, right?" Tristan asked.

"No, just point out every ordinary thing you come across." Spat Kaiba, his sarcastic comment dark in tone. _'I hope no one notices how stressed I am. Why does it hurt so much to lose her?'_

"Why Tristan?" Serenity asked innocently.

"'cause that's definitely not normal!" Tristan choked out. The group rushed over to see what the tan boy was talking about. His finger was pointing toward a huge vortex. A huge, circular swirl of black and purple that was paper-thin and looked the same on both sides stared back at them. I stood at the far end of an alley.

"What is that thing?!"

"T-tell us when you f-find out, Kaiba!" Ryou stuttered.

"It's a tesseract."

"A what? Use actual words, sister."

"I am, Marik. It is a tesseract… Allow me to explain."

"Please do." Spoke Yami, who had replaced Yugi in all the commotion.

"A tesseract is a wrinkle in time." She received blank stares. "How about an example?"

"That'd be great." Bakura had replace Ryou.

Isis took out a handkerchief, picked a ladybug of the side of a building, and put the insect on one end of her piece of cloth. "For a bug, it's an incredibly far distance to travel to go from one side of the linen to the other. But, if I do this," She brought the two ends together and pulled them apart once the ladybug had safely crossed, "it's much shorter, isn't it? I just created a, theoretical, wrinkle in time. That is a tesseract."

"So, what you're saying is it's a portal to another world?"

"I thought I told you to stay at Yugi's game shop, Mokuba."

"Sorry big brother." He shrugged, "But I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yes, young one, you are." ((An: Ok, I have no idea if Isis would actually say that, but it sounded awesome, in my opinion, and I had to add it.))

"Well, what are we waitin' for? Le's go get'uh!" Joey was fully prepared to march through the vortex, and would have too, if Mai hadn't grabbed onto and scolded him.

"What are you, insane? We can't just waltz through like that!"

"But we can't leave 'er!"

"Do not worry, Joey. I have calculated the amount of time that this tesseract will remain."

"How long, Isis?" Yami inquired.

"Just over a day, perhaps a day and a half. We can go tomorrow."

"Why should any of us come?" asked Bakura bitterly, "My hikari and I have no reason to attend this little outing."

"Because, like it or not, Téa's our friend and she needs our help. At the very least, don't keep Ryou from going if he wants to, even if you don't. We're going." Mokuba argued before motioning toward himself and his brother.

"No, 'we' are not."

"But big brother, Téa needs us!"

"Since this is so important to you, I'll go. But it's too dangerous for you to come. You will be staying home. Is that clear?"

"But Seto-"

"Is that clear?"

"… Yes." Mokuba agreed miserably.

"Good."

"We should go today."

"What?" Duke asked as everyone turned his or her attention toward Yugi, who had just returned.

"Isis's calculations could be off and this may be the only chance we get to save Téa. We should go today."

"Alright." Isis agreed, "But first, we need to speak with her guardians. We obviously can't tell them what's really going on so we'll have to make up some kind of a cover-up story."

"Ok, then how about everyone goes home for… let's say an hour. Then we'll meet up at the game shop, talk to Téa's parents, and come back here." Planned Tristan.

"Fine. Come on Mokuba."

"Coming big brother!" The two orphans stalked away.

"I'll come."

"Thanks Ryou. Let me just call my mom, then I'll be ready too."

"Alright Serenity. I shall come back as well, once I check on the museum. Marik?"

"Coming." The two siblings departed.

"A'ight den, anyone else who's comin' meet back 'ere in an hour." The rest of the group went their separate ways immediately.

**Meanwhile**

'_I'm going to help Téa.'_ Ryou began packing some of his belongings.

Very well, hikari, but may I ask why? What has she ever done for us do deserve our help?

'_If there's one thing I've learned, Bakura, it's that you should help your friends no matter what. And, you have to admit, out of all our friends she **has** been the most decent towards you.'_

First of all, they're your friends, there is no 'our'. Second of all, of course she's the most decent, everyone else hates me.

'_That's exactly my point! When will you stop being such a bloody git and open your eyes?! You need a friend like Téa! You need someone besides me that doesn't hate you!'_ Bakura was shocked into silence. Never before had his aibou even come close to having an outburst such as the one he had just witnessed. Ryou took full advantage of the silent situation and finished packing.

**Meanwhile**

'_Why would anyone kidnap Téa? She's the third most innocent girl I know, next to the mutt's sister and Hawkins. What could anyone possibly want with her, unless… maybe Ishtar and I aren't the only ones attracted to her? God, if that's true, she could be in more trouble than I thought.'_ He continued preparing for the unfathomable journey that lay ahead with a fresh burst of speed, _'Hold on Téa… Actually, come to think of it, not only was the fact that Ishtar is attracted to Téa never confirmed, but Isis never mentioned anything about how or why she was taken…'_ There was the unmistakable sound of a dialing cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Isis."

"Kaiba? Why are you calling? Aren't we going to meet back at the game shop in twenty minutes?"

"You never mentioned who or why Té-Gardner was taken."

"Couldn't you have waited, though?"

"I need to-" The words had begun to spill from his mouth before Kaiba was able to stop them, "… I need to know." There was a drawn out silence from the other end, during which Kaiba regretted allowing himself to be so vulnerable.

"I see. Well, it has to do with a guy named Azumamaro. I believe he has been watching, and wanting, Téa for quite some time now. You will have to wait until later for further details."

"Grr… fine." He hung up. _'If 'Azumamaro' lays a finger on her…'_

**Meanwhile**

Isis hung up the telephone and turned to her younger brother.

"Who was it, sister?"

"It was Kaiba." She received an incredulous look.

"Why would **he** call?"

"That's not important. Marik, I need to speak with you."

"About what, Isis?"

"About your… feelings towards Téa."

"Oh…" _'Damn, I don't like where this is going. Grr… I'll bet Kaiba has something to do with this! Ra damn him!'_

"Are you finished packing?"

"Yes sister."

"Good, then please sit down." They both took seats on Isis's bed; loving and sympathetic grey eyes meeting nervous and longing violet ones. "I must warn you, some of these questions may seem very personal. Is that alright?" Although she spoke few words aloud, silently the Egyptian woman was pleading. _'Please, Marik, I only want to help you…'_ Luckily, the boy sensed his sister's intentions.

"Yes, sister." He affirmed nodding.

"When did you first develop feelings for Téa? And, can you tell me exactly what you feel?"

"Exactly?"

"Well, tell me as much as you are able."

"Alright. I think I first liked Téa after I took over her mind. And, when I'm around her or thinking about her, I just feel… I don't know, good, I guess." _'And my lower area gets** way** too warm…'_

"I see… will you tell me how often you think about her?"

"I don't know,"_ 'Every second of every minute of every hour of every day! I have dreams that are far too personal for me to even mention, except perhaps to Téa in the future.' _"I guess I think about her whenever I have time to just sit and let my thoughts wonder."

"So then you think about her each night before you sleep." _'Please don't say 'yes' little brother! If things keep going this way I won't be able to trust how you're really feeling.'_

"I guess so… yeah." _'Sister, you have no idea what an understatement that is.'_

"Oh, I see." _'Oh no, Marik…'_ "Can you tell me more about why you like her?"

"W-well, ya see, um…"

"Go on." She smiled a kind and encouraging smile.

"When I looked into her mind, I saw all the happiness and love she had. I guess it just sort of drew me to her. Ugh, you know what, this is stupid. Let's go, we only have a few minutes to get to the game shop." With that final note, Marik stormed out of the room. Had Isis been looking more closely, she would have noticed tears about to fall.

'_Oh Marik, little brother, what has happened to you? When did you become obsessed with Téa? I know you were understating the truth, I could see it in your eyes. How did this happen?'_ Isis tried to shake off her worry as she followed her brother to the game shop.

'_Why did I answer all those questions? It just seemed to make me want her even more. Ra damn it!'_ Marik resisted the urge to punch the nearest thing to him, solid or human. However, seeing that it would have been his sister, he decided against it. He looked at his beloved sibling. _'I know you wish to help me sister, but you cannot. I know you've already figured out how deep my feelings run for this girl, I can see it in your eyes. You understand my feelings for Téa. **My** Téa.'_

**Meanwhile**

"Mom, you don't understand, I have to go!" Mrs. Wheeler pointlessly argued with her teenaged daughter, while watching her stuff as many items as possible into one small backpack. "My friend really needs help!"

"Woah, hold on a minute there. I thought you said you were staying over a friend's house."

"I-I am. She just happens to need my help too."

"With what?"

"She's home alone. She needs company."

"So, there won't be any supervision?"

"Sure there will, a neighbor is checking up on us every hour!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes!"

"Why can't I talk to her parents first?"

"Because, they're in… Peru."

"Peru?"

"Yes, mom, Peru."

**Meanwhile**

Téa awoke to find herself on silk. Warm sunlight was filtering through a window and she was being kept warm by silk blankets and something else she couldn't quite place. She should have felt totally comfortable and relaxed, but it was quite the contrary. She was increasingly uncomfortable and felt overly warm. She sensed that she was in a bad place and had to get away immediately. Her eyes shot open and looked down to inspect what was overheating her. A strong arm lay across her; its hand sprawled on her stomach.

'_Someone is in here with me… Oh hell no!'_ As Téa tried to free herself, the being next to her stirred.

"Hello my love." He burrowed his face into the crook of her neck, licking it.

"Wh-wh-who are you?!" The mysterious person lifted their head.

"I am Azumamaro, ruler of Wandaarando, and your new lover." ((An: ok, two things: one, he's even worse than Marik; two, Wandaarando is Japanese for Wonderland, but they're not exactly there. It's kinda hard to explain. They are in a world that isn't wonderland but it's called that and it is slightly similar. More will be explained later on.))

"WHAT?!?!" Téa exclaimed while dodging his attempt to kiss her. She ripped his wandering hands off of her. _'This guy does **not** know when to quit!'_ Téa took a good look at her kidnapper as the day's events rushed back to her.

He had long, black hair that was kind of spiky and deep, red eyes that burned with lust as he watched her. He was undoubtedly cute… and well built. Bellow his handsome face was a well-chiseled chest, muscular arms, strong legs, and boxers. She came to her senses and looked down at herself.

"What happened?! What did you do to me?!" She was scared. No, not scared, she was terrified. _'Oh… my… GOD! This so cannot be happening! Where are my clothes? Why am I only in my underwear? Oh god…'_

"Nothing, my love, you should be awake when we do that." He smirked, his eyes shining with even more want then before, "now come back to bed. We can get started…"

"No! Stay the hell away from me! How dare you? I-I want my clothes back! A-and I want to go home." She stuttered. _'Téa, just calm down because everything is going to be fine. God, this weirdo is giving me the creeps. I so wish he would stop looking at me like that… undressing me with his eyes. God, I wish my friends were here to save me!'_

"You can have your clothes," the words slipped from his tongue like liquid as he got up and advanced upon her, "but I'm afraid you cannot leave." He had her pinned against the wall, trapping her frail form, "Of course, everything comes at a price. How much are you willing to pay for what you want?" His eyes glanced down towards the inside of her bra suggestively. _'She will open herself to me soon,'_ he thought, _'soul, mind, and'_ he licked his lips _'body. I could just drink her up all day. Her curves are just so damn perfect… I must have her soon. If not by will than through force.'_ His eyes darkened.

She spat her response, causing the words to drip like venom.

"Hands. Off."

**End of Chapter

* * *

**

RS: Wow, this chapter's a little more adult than the last ones… oh well! Leave a review for the longest chapter yet!


	5. Explanation

RS: I'm back, and you should all be very happy. Not only is this chapter longer than the last, but I'm updating earlier than I planned to. You see, I was hoping to update this while I updated Unexpected Feelings/Love, but I have nothing to do, so I'm updating now.

Zander: Why do you people even care what happens?

RS: You know, I wonder that too… apparently, this story and I rock. Anyway, time for shout-outs:

Bradybunch4529 Yeah, love triangles are awesome. I love a good BakuraxTéaxKaiba triangle, but I decided to use Marik instead. Of course she kept her spunk, her attitude never wavered on the episodes of the show I've seen. Besides, that's part of what makes her cool. Thank you for the great review!

Veronica: Wow, thank you so much! Sweet, my fic and I rock! Yay! Some things are explained in this chapter, but not everything. If I said everything it wouldn't be interesting… I just explained most of what's going on. Thanks for the review.

yami1: I know, ain't he adorable? I think this is good, but you'll have to be the judge of that. Thanks for the awesome review!

Sarah1281 Yup, 'A Wrinkle in Time': great book, bad movie. I could just kind of see Isis explaining the whole tesseract thing. Um… I'll decide why people are obsessed with her soon; I just have to come up with a reason. If you have any suggestions that you think may improve the story don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks for the review, here's the chapter you wanted!

Azurite: Wow, thanks. All that praise means a lot coming from you, since I love your stories. I'm really not sure how many chapters this is going to be, I only have a basic outline of what I want to happen in my story. I've never seen Dragonball Z… It just doesn't peak my interest. Thank you very much for the review!

yingfacherryblossom: Yeah, they probably are. Although, I wouldn't worry if Seto liked me… oh well! Thanks for the great review.

RS: Thank you everyone for the great feedback. Here's the next chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Explanations**

Yugi stood, unconsciously wiping the exact same spot on the counter, contemplating. He wondered if Téa, his longtime friend and past crush, was all right.

He had harbored a crush on the cheerful girl for ten long years, since they were six. He had only just gotten over her when he realized two things. First of all, any of Téa's romantic feelings had been aimed towards Yami; he himself was just considered a friend to her. He came to his second realization when having a discussion with Joey. His best friend had been painfully aware of Yugi's crush, and of Téa's. After a long discussion, they came to the conclusion that the brunette was certainly over Yami. While it hurt to accept this fact, it had allowed the young boy to overcome his feelings for her and move on.

One thing the two boys never told anyone, not even Tristan, was that they had also come to a speculation as well: perhaps Téa had moved on to someone else? She had suddenly grown extremely uncomfortable when sitting in class, as if she wanted a specific pair of eyes to like what they saw. At first, they tried narrowing down suspects, or it could be called Joey obsessing while Yugi tried to convince him that whomever Téa had a crush on was none of their business. Either way, Joey was soon convinced that they had nothing to worry about after figuring out that if she did have a crush, the boy resided in the back of the room, around the area where Kaiba sat. So, it was either Seto Kaiba or an empty desk.

Yugi chuckled out loud at the memory. _'I remember how choked I was after hearing Joey say that,'_ the boy mused, _'only to become completely shocked at his calmness. Then he so nonchalantly explained how she couldn't have a crush because it would have to have been on Kaiba. "But Joey, what if her crush **is** Kaiba?!" We looked at each other and laughed for, literally, ten minutes straight. Téa have a crush on Kaiba, yeah right!'_ He stopped wiping and cracked up at the thought, before being snapped back to reality.

"Dude, quit it!"

"Yeah, c'mon Yug', Tristan's right!"

"Sorry, Joey, Tristan, Duke. I was just laughing at the whole 'Téa's crush' thing Joey and I went through." Yugi explained. However, none of the boys' realized that Yugi's laughter had drowned out the sound of the door and that Kaiba, Mai, Mokuba, Serenity, Marik, Ryou, and Isis were quietly standing away from them.

"What 'Téa's crush' thing?" Tristan asked.

"Well," began Joey, "remembuh how Yug' used ta have a crush on Téa?"

"Yeah…" answered Duke in a confused fashion.

'_Who doesn't.'_ thought Bakura, who was listening in on the conversation through Ryou and their mind link.

"N', ya know how Téa used to like Yami?"

'_That guy is toast.'_ Marik had found a new hatred towards Yami.

"Yes. Is that all this is about?" Tristan prodded.

"No," spoke Yugi, "but we figured out about two months ago that Téa was definitely and completely over Yami. But, Joey thought that she might've gotten a crush on someone else…"

"So, Yug n' I figyuhed out what direction in class 'er crush'd have ta sit in. But, pretty soon we luhned dat we wuh wrong." Joey closed his eyes, turned his head, and waved his hand to emphasize his point.

"Oh? And how can you be so sure?" Duke asked amusedly.

"Simple, 'cause she'd have ta like moneybags." All four boys' eyes met for about five seconds… before they were rolling on the floor, howling with laughter.

"T-T-Téa like Kaiba! Hahahahahahaha!" Duke moaned.

"Like some blond bimbo! Heheheh!" Tristan continued.

"Mrs. Téa Kaiba! Hahahaha! Heheheh!" Joey screamed and the boys laughed even harder.

'_So your lame friends can be amusing, hikari.'_ Bakura mocked, but Ryou chose not to dignify him with an answer. He did, however, start to lose the ability to hide his mirth.

"Better shut-it before you mutts have a seizure." The four alarmingly red faces quickly faded to stark white as they turned to the six-foot owner of the ice-cold voice.

"Kaiba?" Duke squeaked. But, the multimillionaire only sneered in a disgusted fashion and stormed out of the shop.

"Jeez," Joey asked, "what's with him?"

"Honestly, you boys are unbelievable sometimes!" Mai chastised angrily. No one missed the distasteful look on Serenity and Isis's faces either. "How could you do that?"

"What'd we do?!" Duke shouted, thoroughly confused.

"How could you have missed that hurt look in his eye?" Serenity continued coldly.

"Hurt?" Tristan ventured.

"You were laughing at him!" Mai screamed, "And, what's more is you rubbed his face in the idea that there was no way in hell he could ever get the one girl he really wa-… uh-oh."

"Mai!" Serenity screeched, "No one was supposed to know that we knew! In fact, I don't think anyone here knew what they now know we knew!" Ten seconds of silence followed her statement.

"What?" Yugi asked.

"Ugh! Be quiet, this doesn't concern you." Who knew Serenity could be so vicious.

"Come on girls, we have to get him." Isis spoke coolly.

"Look, we didn't know!" Duke called out as the three girls exited the shop. The entire room was quiet for a few seconds, before Ryou perked up.

"What's wrong, Marik?" All eyes shifted to the Egyptian, who was seething. Serenity chose that moment to desperately run in. Coincidently, the girls had just realized that they left a boy who not only had just heard about the girl he liked having other options, but was in a room full of people, most of which, if not all, he despised.

"Oh gosh, you guys know about Marik." Serenity breathed out.

"Well, after seeing how angry he is, it's kinda hard not to figure out." Mokuba piped.

"Oh… even Téa doesn't know about this. Um, ok, this is gonna sound weird, but, can you guys wait just a couple more minutes before saying anything? Once Mai and Isis come back with Kaiba" Marik's fists tightened at the name, "we will take care of everything. I promise!"

"Serenity's right you guys." Tristan agreed, "We should hear the whole story before we take any actions we may regret later."

"Thanks Tristan." Serenity blushed. Few people noticed, but a couple did. Fortunately, the boys with the biggest mouths weren't included, so no one commented.

**Meanwhile**

"Kaiba, wait," Isis called out while running as fast as possible in her Egyptian attire, "please!"

"What?" He inquired coolly.

"Everything's going to be alright. You have to forget what happened and come back." Mai called out, catching up to them.

"Why?" Kaiba croaked, noticeably upset for the first time since he met Gozaburo. The girls were slightly taken aback, at first, but soon snapped out of their stupor.

"Because, right now, Téa needs you." Mai spoke slowly, words sliding off of her tongue.

"You heard them. She doesn't need me. Anyway, she has you."

"Forget about them! This whole thing is about Téa, not those jerks back there. Help her! At least for Mokuba?"

"Mokuba…"

"You don't want him to be sad, do you? Do you really want something to happen to Téa?" Kaiba didn't answer, only turned around and headed back the way he came, two girls in tow.

The bell jingled as the three beings stepped inside and all eyes focused on them. Yugi, Tristan, Duke, and Joey were stilling on the floor with Serenity towering over them. Everyone else had spread out and Bakura, who had replaced Ryou, was smirking while overlooking everything with an amused expression.

"I suppose this would be a good time to explain everything. We shall give everyone in here a break and start with who abducted Téa." As Isis spoke the group stepped closer, listening intently. Bakura even had the decency to open a mind link so Ryou could listen. Yami did the same for Yugi, after the two boys switched places. The Egyptian, however, seemed hesitant to start.

"Well, Isis?" Yami pushed.

"Let me begin by assuring you that Téa is currently in no fatal danger." She observed the group relaxing before she continued, "Her captor is a man who goes by the name Azumamaro. He rules another world."

"The place where that creepy portal leads?" Mokuba asked. Isis seemed shocked, having obviously forgotten that the juvenile was there.

"Y-yes." Her words shook slightly, "shouldn't you be at home?" she shot a meaningful glance at Kaiba, which clearly read 'this-is-not-meant-for-a-child's-ears'.

"Isis is right, Mokuba. The limo is right outside, go. I'll be back soon." Kaiba hugged his brother and pulled him out the door. After one final hug the car door shut and the vehicle drove off. The young CEO's actions left no room for protest, let alone enough time for Mokuba to say anything. Kaiba returned and Isis continued.

"The portal leads to a world called Wandaarando, the land Azumamaro rules. He has been watching Téa for two years. Wh-"

"Hold on!" Tristan interrupted, "You knew about this, but never told anyone?"

"No. I had only learned of this today, hence the urgency when I called this group. I actually called others as well, but they seemed… uninterested."

"Others?"

"I must regretfully admit that I was forced to invite 'Bandit' Keith, Rex Raptor, Weevil Underwood, and Maximillion Pegasus, but they all refused."

"What'd ya call dem fo'? N' I thought Pegasus was dead!" Joey wasn't what you could call happy.

"I'm not surprised, Pegasus was always like a termite: annoying and impossible to kill. And, she invited those imbeciles because, mutt, right now isn't the time to think of past grudges."

"Stop it, you guys. Kaiba's right, we need to think of Téa. Go on, Isis."

"Thank you, Serenity. As I was saying, when Téa was fourteen he first attacked her. After an unsuccessful attempt he decided to use tactic while attaining her, and has been observing her, and all of us, ever since. We are closest to her, that's why we're so important. He was going to take her tomorrow, but he found out about my vision and kidnapped her early. Now she is at his castle, through the tesseract."

"But why does he want Téa? Is he after Yami?"

"No Tristan, he just wants Téa."

"But, how come?" Isis only looked up solemnly.

"Oh." muttered Duke, "That's why you sent away Mokuba, huh?"

"Yes, and I fear that getting Téa back is of the utmost importance, if only for her sake."

"What are we waitin' fo'?" Joey spoke aggressively, rage radiating from him, soon spreading to most of the other men inhabiting the room. "Let's go get back our friend!"

"First," pointed out Serenity, "We have to contact her parents."

"Has anyone thought of what to tell them?" Isis asked.

"Actually, my mother thinks I'm staying at a friend's house while her parents are in Peru. We could tell them she's staying too."

"I suppose that will have to do. When I was in high school I always said something along those lines, though, so her parents have probably already heard that excuse." Isis admitted. She received stares from every occupant in the room, especially her brother.

"**You** lied?" Duke sputtered incredulously. Isis merely shrugged.

"Every teen and preteen has done so at one point or another, haven't they? Now, Serenity should probably be the one to call Mr. and Mrs. Gardner. Call your mother as well and tell her that the three of you will be staying with me. It's a safer cover-up, she knows me, and she won't be as suspicious if she can't contact you." She ordered.

"You know our mother?"

"We've met briefly. Now, please, call her." Serenity picked up the game shop's phone and dialed the number.

"Hey mom… well, there's been a change of plans… I'm staying with Isis Ishtar… Yes, mom, everything's been taken care of… Yes, Is- Ms. Ishtar has said it's ok… alright, love you too… bye." She hung up.

"Ms. Ishtar?" Marik quirked an eyebrow, grinning.

"My mom's big on respect." She shrugged.

"That's not important." Isis intervened, "Call the Gardners." Serenity picked the phone in the shop back up and dialed the number; only to have one of the boys put it on speakerphone. No one got the chance to object before someone picked up.

"Hello?" A rushed female voice answered.

"Hi, Mrs. Gardner." The young girl greeted kindly, "It's Serenity Wheeler, Téa's friend."

"Oh, hello. Téa isn't here right now; she'll have to contact you later. I'll tell her you called, good-bye."

"Wait! I know she isn't, I called to tell you that Téa will be staying with me at a friend's house, Isis Ishtar. Is that all right?"

"Yes, fine, whatever. Look, I have to go. Be a sweetheart and tell Téa that her father and I will be in Switzerland for the next four months, will you? Thanks, good bye."

"Wait, don't you-" click. "… Want to know anything else? Jeez, nice parenting. You're leaving for four months and don't even care where your kid is."

"You'd think they'd just put her up for adoption." All eyes turned toward the speaker.

"What do you mean, Tristan?" Serenity asked, almost fearfully.

"Well… see, Téa never told anyone this. I kind of… found out by accident. Anyway, Téa was sort of a mistake. Her parents never wanted her and were going to put her up for adoption, but for some reason didn't. The only time they ever really want her is when her father has some kind of business party and they can use her as an asset. Heh, n' you know what the saddest part is?" Tristan was really deep right then.

"What?" Yami asked.

'_How dare they?'_ Kaiba ranted, _'An 'asset' at a business party! I'm probably one of the only ones here who understands what that really means. She's a toy. How can her own biological father use Téa that way? It's disgusting… at least Gozaburo wasn't my actual father, but these are her **parents**! I always imagined Téa coming from a perfect home. A dad with a decent job, a house mother who's pleasant looking, cooks, and cleans, and the lot of them feeling unconditional love for one another. Guess I was wrong…'_ (An: That's what I really think her family's like but, hey, creative licensing.)

"Despite all of that, Téa loves them more than anything. She's so scared of the thought of being alone that she looks past how much they hate her and is completely blind towards the fact." Tristan took a deep breath before giving a half grin, "You do realize that now I'll have to kill you?" Most of the room gave lighthearted chuckles.

'_Well,'_ Kaiba continued, _'I wasn't completely wrong. Téa loves them because she's Téa: incapable of feeling hatred. That's why I lo-… like her so much.'_ He decided to stop thinking and return to earth.

"So, now on to da next orduh o' business," Joey spoke up "Let's establish who does and does not like Téa." The room quieted slightly.

"It's just Kaiba and Marik, if you don't count **him**." Serenity knew that her friends would understand that 'him' was Azumamaro.

"A'ight, den I just got one more question: what makes you two t'ink dat yo' good enough fo' Téa? I gotta warn ya, da girl's like a sistuh ta us." He motioned towards himself, Tristan, and Yami, "She is ta Yugi n' Ryou too."

"Thanks for the pointless banter, mutt. Is that all?" the stoic boy seemed unamused. (An: I could've sworn 'unamused' was a word…)

"No," Tristan interrupted, "that's not all!" he suddenly softened. "Listen, Kaiba, dude, we're sorry about before." Kaiba rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Really, we are. Téa might like you; we just didn't think that there was anyway she'd like someone who had no chance of liking her back. But, now that we know you like her, I'm not so sure our past assumptions were true." He gave a hopeful smile, "We cool?"

"Taylor, we were never 'cool' and we never will be. Look, let's just get this over with." He turned on his heel and exited the shop. The others slowly followed, except for Tristan who ran up ahead to Kaiba.

"Kaiba, we have to be cool now." He only received silence. "Ok, fine. If you really want the truth I'll tell you." This time Tristan got a glance and a quirk of the brow. "Téa is either going with you, Marik, or Azumamaro. And, frankly, I would happiest to see her end up with you, given the choices." Kaiba quickly spewed a sarcastic remark.

"How touching, Taylor."

"Ok, so maybe I'm not happiest to see her with you, but I've got to make an effort."

"You do realize she doesn't even know I like her yet but in your mind we're already dating."

"Yeah, well, wishful thinking." He received a strange look. "Yes, Kaiba, you heard me right. I may actually **want** to see you with Téa."

'_Maybe Taylor isn't quite as bad as the rest of those geeks…' _

Unfortunately for the two of them, Kaiba wasn't the only one who heard Tristan correctly. _'How dare he!?!? Téa is **mine**! How can he parade around promoting the idea of **Kaiba** getting her?! I need to put an end to things with him, once and for all. Now, what to do?'_

"Marik?" Serenity whispered, to sufficiently stopping his plotting.

"Yes?" He answered back, unsure what to make of her tone.

"I'm sorry." She continued in a normal tone.

"Tch, for what?" Marik gave her an incredulous look.

"Well, even though they know you like Téa, everyone's going to be more enthusiastic about her getting together with Kaiba than with you. Especially since it's common knowledge that she isn't crushing on you but she may have feelings for Mr. Antisocial… Are you going to be ok?" He sneered at her and walked away.

"Don't waste you're time on him, Serenity." Mai said, strolling up next to the girl, "The ungrateful loser is **so** not worth your time."

"But Mai," Serenity pleaded, "he seems so upset."

"And Marik has a right to be. Téa is much more likely to choose Kaiba than my younger brother. Actually, that's why I'm worried…"

"What do you mean, Isis?" Serenity inquired innocently.

"I talked to him earlier and now his feelings for Téa are scaring me." The older woman responded sorrowfully.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Mai raised her eyebrows.

"I'm afraid of what his feelings for her have become. Are they just a crush, or is it love, or…"

"Or what?" Mai seemed slightly intrigued. Isis lowered her voice so that no one other than the other two girls would be able to hear her.

"I'm afraid he may be obsessed with Téa. I think he might get… possessive."

"Oh… maybe he needs a guy to talk to. Someone he doesn't have a negative history with, but he'll still feel comfortable confiding in and knows well." Serenity suggested.

"And, hun," Mai added, "I've already got two or three guys in mind. I'll even get started… but later. We're here." The group stopped in front of the swirling black and purple whirlpool that had miraculously gone unnoticed.

"So, Isis… do we just walk through it?" Tristan asked.

"Yes, but not yet. I should warn you, this will be very dangerous."

"What's Wandaarando like?" Duke wondered.

"I… don't know."

"Shouldn't we get going?" pushed Bakura.

"You're going to help us?" Serenity smiled.

"If I send in my hikari, he'll never survive."

"Suuuuure…" Mai drawled.

"Grr…" Ryou now stood in his place.

"I think you annoyed him." Ryou pointed out.

"No shit Sherlock…" Tristan whispered.

"Huh? What's that from?" Duke inquired.

"Téa used to say it whenever Joey or Tristan stated the obvious." Yami clarified, "She told us she got it from some kind of entertainment."

"It was a musical" Ryou explained, "called 'Little Shop of Horrors'. It was about a man-eating plant. It's rather good."

"As fascinating as this all is," interjected Kaiba, "shouldn't we get going?"

"Kaiba's right. Everyone should enter the tesseract one at a time." Isis ordered.

"I shall go first." Yami volunteered, before stepping through the vortex. However, as soon as he did, it began to waver and shrink.

**Meanwhile**

Sighing, Téa stared out her window. She had gotten her clothes back and was now just sitting around. She put her hand up to her stinging, red cheek. It still hurt. She wanted to get out so bad…

**/Flashback/**

"Hands. Off." I spat. He seemed shocked that I would have the audacity to speak with that tone. I used this to my advantage and shoved him hard in the chest. I tried to run, but he grabbed my ankle and pulled me down.

"Calm down!" He yelled, pinning my arms above my head with one hand.

"Let go!" I remember starting to flail in desperation. My knee collided with his stomach. He winced but his grip did not waver. Switching his grip on my wrists so both were in his left hand, he leaned forward, breath tickling my ear.

"This will teach you." He whispered softly. I shut my eyes tightly as his lips lightly brushed mine, almost not touching them. Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted from the side of my face. I cried out and whimpered as he did the same thing two more times. He sat still for a moment before getting up.

Walking over to the other side of the room, he took out a key from a pocket in his boxers. Opening the armoire in front of him, he pulled out my uniform and tossed it to me. He exited, slamming the door and locking it.

**/End Flashback/**

'_I've got to get out of here…'_ There was a sharp rapping sound on the door.

**End Chapter

* * *

**

RS: Well, there you go. Chapter 5 ended with two cliffhangers… kind of.

Zander: Those are cliffhangers?

RS: Hey! I just said that they were cliffhangers; I never said that they were good ones.

Zander: Whatever. Hey, didn't you want to ask your reviewers about something?

RS: Yes Zander, I had almost forgotten. Thank you!

Zander: Feh, whatever.

RS: Don't say 'whatever', only girls can say that.

Zander: Why?

RS: 'Cause it makes guys sound kind of gay. No offense to anyone who is, all my friends and I think is that it just is the stereotypical thing to say when you're gay. And, yes, we know that we shouldn't judge on stereotypes, but old habits die hard.

Zander: Whatev- Grr… just ask them already!

RS: All right, all right, don't get your panties in a twist. **IMPORTANT:** I need your help. Right now Marik is in control. Should Malik be in this story? Please tell me!

Zander: 's that it?

RS: Yupperz, leave a review!


	6. Seeing Doubles

RS: Sorry this took so long! Shout-outs:

Azurite: Alright, alright! Jeez! I was actually going to wait before updating, but since you yelled at me… (sniffle)

Teaangel: Here ya go!

Lita Maxwell: lol, cute! Get Kaiba a tissue!

Bradybunch4529: Well, you know what they say: 'the enemy of my enemy is my ally'

Butterfly Girl Sarah: you read my mind. That's exactly what I was going to do for her. I put Malik in for you!

yingfacherryblossom: Something's gonna happen with Marik, you'll see soon.

Me-write-ficcys: 0.o ok, you need to take a chill pill. Who are the characters gonna defeat if you destroy the villain?

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Seeing Doubles**

"Hurry, the portal is wavering!"

"Tell us something we _don't_ already know, Isis!" Kaiba yelled as he dove toward the shrinking tesseract, his heart beat pounding within his ears. He, Marik, and Isis threw themselves into the black abyss and were soon followed by the rest of the group. Serenity, the last to enter, just squeezed in by a hair. Then it disappeared. Their only current route home, vanished. And, none of our heroes were awake to witness it.

"Ugh, where am I? What the hell happened?" Kaiba was forced to squint as he attempted to open his eyes, but was unable to. After a little bit of struggling, he managed to drag himself into an upright position.

"We're exactly where I thought we would end up, we're in Wandaarando." Isis finally answered him, being the only other conscious one of their group. "The pressure passing through the tesseract was too much for our bodies to take. We all passed out from the pain."

"How long have we been out of it?"

"I was unconscious for twenty minutes, you were for twenty five. It shouldn't take long for the others to recover, I can't wait for the mass hysteria." He gazed at her in confusion, but she only nodded her head toward where the rest of their companions lied unawake, "Take a look around, things just got more interesting."

Doing as he was told, his sight wandered across their fellow travelers. At first, everything seemed ordinary.

"What am I looking for, Isis?" he demanded.

"Aren't you seeing doubles?" Kaiba was about to turn around and tell her to move her ass into the nearest looney bin, and to take her brother with her, when something caught the corner of his eye. Well, more like somethings. (An: another fake word! ;P) There were two of some people, but why? It suddenly hit him. It took a minute after his eyes widened for him to regain the ability to speak.

"As if dealing with them one at a time wasn't hard enough."

"Indeed." Isis chuckled lightly.

"How did it happen?"

"I'm not sure." There were a few moments of silence.

"I just thought of something." Kaiba growled, somewhat angry.

"What is it?" She worried over his sour tone.

"Do yamis and hikaris share feelings?"

"I suppose so why- oh. This could pose a problem."

"Would Malik act the same way as his counterpart?"

"I hope not, for everyone's sake…"

"What do you mean?"

"Wha? Oh, n-nothing."

"Isis, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing, I didn't mean that."

"Isis…please. If it has to do with Téa, I need to know."

"What!" Isis had not been expecting that. After recovering from the initial shock, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Kaiba. I really cannot tell you." The boy sighed, but did not say anything.

'_Something's wrong, why won't she tell me? I miss her so much. Téa…'_ He silently laughed to himself, _'I must be loosing my mind. Here I am becoming soft and weak, all because of some overly peppy girl. But, my god, she's so worth it…'_

"Kaiba," a voice called.

"What is it, Isis?"

"I'm going to consult my Millennium Eye, tell the others what I told you if I'm busy when they regain consciousness." She received a silent nod in affirmation, and set off to work.

Meanwhile, Kaiba had done exactly what Isis asked him to for the next person to awake, which was Tristan. Afterwards, the brunette boy took over and soon, everyone other than the yamis and hikaris had woken up. The others needed more rest since their bodies had been under the most stress. Isis had took a break from using her item to warn them that the group would all come to at the same time and then continued with what she had been doing earlier.

"Damn it, would you just tell me what is so funny?" The handsome CEO snapped at the Wheeler siblings, who had just whispered something to Tristan. The group was now snickering uncontrollably and it was beginning to get on Kaiba's nerves.

"Well sorry, it's just that we've never seen the great Seto Kaiba with a backpack before. Just big, expensive briefcases." Serenity giggled innocently. Kaiba only glared in back at them and turned away.

"Ugh, where am I?"

"Ryou!" Everyone but Kaiba rushed over to great their newly awakened friend. The young CEO stepped closer, but maintained a safe distance.

"How are you feeling?" Serenity asked.

"I've been better." Suddenly, more groans filled the air and everyone was waking up. It was all fine, until they opened their eyes.

"What the fuck!" Bakura exclaimed, looking at his hikari and all the other separated pairs. "How the hell did this happen?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it has something to do with the pressure that the tesseract put on out bodies. The force must have split you into two separate people." Isis explained, walking forward.

"It's getting dark," Duke commented looking up, into the sky. "We should probably make camp. We can decide what to do in the morning."

"That's a good idea," Agreed Mai, "but does anyone here know how to set up camp?"

"W- hehehe, w-well, um…" Tristan embarrassedly stuttered, cheeks flushing pink.

"Just spit it out already!" Bakura glared.

"When I was younger, I kinda was a… boy scout." He looked down. There was a moment of silence before nearly everyone from modern times began screaming with laughter. Even Isis smiled, chuckling lightly, although she tried to hide it. Yugi and Ryou were snickering, but trying their hardest to stop. Kaiba just stood there, seemingly unamused, while the yamis looked confused.

"Aibou," Yami asked, once everyone had quieted down, "What is a 'boy scout'?"

"Well," the boy explained, "since the world has become so modern, less and less people are doing out door stuff. Boy scouts are for kids from ages… something like five through thirteen, to learn how to do all those outdoorsy things."

"Why did you laugh?"

"As you get older, you lose interest in Boy Scouts and it comes to be considered lame. When you look back on it, you start to laugh at how stupid the whole thing really was."

"Oh, I see." Yami affirmed, although he really didn't.

"Well, since we have an honorary boy scout with us," Mai drawled, "we'd best get started." She whispered something to Duke, Joey, and Serenity.

"What are our orders, Sergeant?" The four struck mock salutes.

"Seargeant?" asked Bakura.

"I'll explain later." Ryou chuckled.

"Can we please get back to making camp." Marik asked, bored.

"We need fire wood to build a fire, and kindling." Tristan pointed out. "Why don't Mai and Joey do that?"

"Uh… ok, sure." Joey agreed, slightly confused. The two walked towards the forest a few yards away, Mai trailing slightly behind her male companion. Serenity giggled as their forms disappeared.

"Wanted to give them some alone time?" Serenity asked in a cocky, uncharacteristic fashion.

"Possibly…" Tristan grinned before turning to the rest of the group, "Ok, I'll build the fire pit and you guys can… find pine needles to sleep on, I guess." The group dispersed, going in search of soft material to sleep on.

"I wonder what'll happen with those two." Serenity thought aloud, she was with Malik, Marik, and Isis.

"I honestly don't know." Isis answered, distractedly, "Marik,"

"Yes sister?"

"Go with Serenity to search over there." She pointed to her right, where the woods tapered outward slightly, "Malik and I will stay here."

"Good idea." The redhead quickly agreed, having figured out that her female companion needed to speak to her brother. Grabbing the other, confused, boy's arm, she forcefully dragged him away.

"Malik… I'm going to be blunt. Do you share Marik's feelings for Téa?" Isis blurted, before adding "It's alright if you do, I just need to know." Her brother stopped and turned to her.

"Why?" he asked, "Why do you need to know?"

"You already have the answer to that. Do you or don't you share your yami's obsession?"

"… We're essentially one person, as the other hikaris are with their yamis. What do you think?"

"Malik…" she dropped her query and pulled the boy into a hug, eyes watering. "I worry about you two so much."

"Me _and_ Marik?" he asked, obviously not convinced she cared for his yami.

"Yes, you and Marik. I may not agree with everything he does, but he's still like a third brother."

"Speaking of brothers, have you heard from Odion lately?"

"Yes, things are fine back in Egypt." Isis stepped back, letting her brother go. She wiped away the sole tear that had escaped her eye and was rolling down her pale skin "Come, we had best finish and return to the others." She turned to pick up the nettles.

"Sister," Isis stopped and turned to face him.

"Yes?"

He didn't speak. Instead, he allowed his load to fall and ran towards her. Malik caused her to stumble slightly with the sheer force, but soon the two were sharing a bear hug.

**Meanwhile**

"You know," Serenity offered, "It's ok to wish Isis acted that way towards you. I'm sure that's how things were back in Ancient Egypt. No one blames you for missing that."

"You're wrong, mortal. I care nothing for her." Marik spat, picking up more sleep-on-able stuff from the ground.

"Fine, just forget I said anything." She hissed, angry and hurt.

"That's exactly what I was planning on doing."

**Meanwhile**

Mai was searching for kindling, hands already close to full. Joey's arms were filled with logs, so the two placed their query on the ground and sat to rest. Minutes later, Mai took the initiative and was first to speak.

"Why do you think Tristan send us to do this? I seriously doubt that we were best suited for the job." She pointed out.

"Yeauh, dat's true." He agreed nervously.

"We, uh… we should get back. C'mon, hun." Getting up, she dusted of her skirt before putting out her hands face up. Grasping them tightly, Joey began to stand as Mai pulled. Unfortunately for her, she pulled a little to hard and landed on her back… with Joey on top of her.

"Uh…" Mai blushed, only able to mutter incomprehensible sounds. Joey was speechless and wide-eyed. Yet, this time he took the initiative. Slowly, he lowered his head towards hers, prepared to capture her lips with his own. In response, she tilted her head backward, parting her lips. His mouth mimicked hers, opening slightly as he came lower.

**Meanwhile**

"Taylor." A gruff voice called out at the campsite.

"Yes? What is it, Kaiba?" Tristan looked up from his meager attempts to start a fire with what little they had.

"Here." An odd object flew through the air, sufficiently being caught in the tanned boy's hands.

"A lighter? Wow, Kaiba, I never would've guessed you smoke."

"I don't."

"Then… why do you have a lighter?"

"I forgot when or why it started, but I somehow got into the habit of carrying one. I never leave home without it, but I couldn't tell you why. Anyway," the CEO growled, "it's none of your business."

"Whoa, I was just asking." Tristan's hands shot up in defense.

"… Do you think she's ok?" Kaiba asked, after a moment of silence.

"Téa's tough, she can handle herself. I should know. Here, look at this." The boy rolled up his sleeve to show his upper arm. It was adorned with a rather nasty looking bruise.

"So?" the brunette appeared unimpressed.

"One day Téa and I went to the mall to hang out, just the two of us. We were goofing off, when I started to tease her. I guess she got tired of it, so she socked me in the arm. Didn't mean to do it so hard, though, and felt guilty as heck afterward."

"Hm." Was the only response, partnered with a look saying What-does-this-have-to-do-with-anything?

"Now imagine what she could do if she meant to hurt someone." Tristan clarified with a grin. Kaiba couldn't help but smirk back. "She'll hold off Azumamaro 'till we get there. And when we do…"

"The bastard's done for." Kaiba finished. The two boys' eyes met and a mutual understanding was formed, as well as a slight companionship.

Unbeknownst to them, however, they were being watched by two beady black eyes.

**Meanwhile**

Téa's head whipped around to face the source of the noise. Before she could say anything, however, the door was being opened. She held her breath as she listened to the lock clicking and watched the doorknob turning.

'_Oh no, he's back…'_ But he wasn't. Before her stood a rather beautiful woman.

She had porcelain skin and dark green hair falling to her waste in soft waves. The portion that would have framed her face was pulled back into a small ponytail falling against the back of her head. The wreath of hair had a few leaves sticking out of it messily, yet obviously put there on purpose. She was wearing sandals and a rather elegant looking Kimono with two fans sticking out of the part wrapping around her waste. Her lips were painted red and a subtle yet noticeable amount of blush sat on her cheeks. Green eye shadow and eyeliner framed her eyes, which mirrored Azumamaro's, only sadder and a tad kinder as well.

"You must be the one, then." Her voice was thick and rich, flowing from her mouth like syrup.

"Who are you?" Téa sounded bold and calm. Her words never betraying the fear she felt. A small laugh rang out. Not a mocking laugh, a slightly amused one.

"Hn. So you've got a backbone, I'm impressed. My name is Harukichi, I have been sent by Azumamaro to watch over you." The woman, now identified as Harukichi, shut the door and walked to the bed, before sitting down.

"Watch over me?" Téa asked, confused.

"Yes. When I'm not running errands, it is my job to stay with you. I have to say, you're not what I expected."

"What did you expect?" she seemed trust worthy enough, but she was still with Azumamaro. Téa chose to be wary.

"Some blond slut with fake breasts who's afraid to break a nail, I suppose." She answered nonchalantly, "By the way, bravo."

"Huh?"

"Let me first warn you, don't expect me to speak of Azumamaro often. He can watch us and listen in our conversation. I'm only talking now because I'm positive he's monitoring something else. Understand?"

"Yeah, I think so…"

"Good. And in response to your question: The stunt you pulled earlier. It takes guts to stand up to my master. Hell, even I don't do it."

"You're master?" Harukichi sighed.

"I'm going to have to give you my life's story already, huh?"

"Not if you don't want to…" Harukichi raised a brow at the girl's words.

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?"

"Kind towards me. Aren't you bias at all?"

"Well, you just insulted Azumamaro. Therefore, you can't be all bad. Besides, even if I hated you, you're all I've got."

"Hn…" there was a few moments of silence. "He owns me."

"Huh?"

"Your question, he owns me, that's why I call him master. Using magic and a strand of his own hair he created me."

"Oh…" Téa could tell this was a touchy subject, judging by Harukichi's clouded eyes. She decided to steer the conversation in a different path. "So, uh, I guess we should get better acquainted."

"Your name's Téa Anzu Mazaki-Gardner. You're a sixteen-year-old living in Domino City with your parents, who are always traveling and are never there for you. Your mother's an Amercan, but from Italian origin, her mother being the first to marry a non-Italian. Your father's Japanese. You're childhood friends with Yugi Motou and he, Tristan Taylor, and Joey Wheeler are your closest companions. Your other friends include Serenity Wheeler, Mai Valentine, Yugi's yami, Malik and Isis Ishtar, Malik's Yami, Bakura Ryou, Ryou's yami, Mokuba Kaiba, and Seto Kaiba, whom you have a crush on. Need I go on?"

"Wha- Who- how did you know that?" the previously described girl exclaimed with wide eyes.

"As you probably know, Azumamaro has been monitoring you, along with a few others. I was ordered to keep tabs on whatever friends of yours he wasn't watching and on you when he didn't have time. Though he rarely didn't have time for you, there were a few occasions."

"Oh."

"Hn, you say that a lot… what is it?" Harukichi asked, regarding the look on Téa's face.

"I just figured out who you remind me of."

"Who?"

"My friend Mai."

"Wait until it's not just the two of us. Around others I'm different."

"Then why did you act like this from the minute you entered the room?"

"Orders, I was supposed to buddy up to you."

"Ah, that makes sense." (An: 'ah' like when the dentist goes 'Say ah…' not 'ah' as in 'ah! Evil mashed potatoes, run!') "How about you? There must be something else to say, other than how Azumamaro created you."

"Hn, I wish."

**Creak!**

The girls' heads whipped around to face the door.

**End Chapter

* * *

**

RS: Well, there you go. RR, later. (BTW, it could take me a while to update!)


	7. New Friends

RS: Sorry this took so long; I had a lot going on. Look: standardized testing started, I was so sick I could hardly get out of bed, then there was the science fair, plus a close friend of the family ended up in the hospital. Also, I wanted to post all my stories on the same day... but I don't want to rush my editor or keep you guys waiting, so I'll just post this now. Ok, now let's just start the fic.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**New Friends**

"Fine, just forget said anything."

"That's exactly what I was planning on doing."

The couple's heads shot up as they listened to the approaching voices. Joey all but leapt off of Mai, before offering a hand up. She opted to get up herself, in remembrance of what happened last time. They quickly straightened themselves out and picked up their query.

"Oh! Hey guys, I forgot you came over here." Serenity greeted in a perky voice, before bending down to pick up more nestles.

Marik stepped up to the group from behind her. Instead of greeting them, he only looked at the two blondes. His eyes darted from one to the other and back again. Finally, he stopped and went back to his odd search, smirking all the while.

The foursome soon backtracked toward the campsite, arms full with kindling, logs, and pine needles. Logs and kindling were placed inside a makeshift fire pit, while the nestles were spread out for people to sleep on.

"Is this really ok to sleep on?" inquired Serenity, as she spaced everything out evenly.

"Yeah, I've done it before." Tristan answered with a nonchalant shrug. "It's not quite as comfortable as a mattress or pillows, but at least it isn't the ground."

"Ok… So now what?" she asked, as Mai helped her pick the last of the pine needles from her clothes and hair.

"I guess we wait till the others show up." As the words left the other girl's mouth, Isis and Malik stepped into the clearing. They dumped their pine needles into the pile with the rest, before attempting to clear themselves of loose ones. The first two girls came to Isis's aid almost immediately.

"Thank you." The suntanned Egyptian smiled warmly at them; raven hair lifting slightly as she seated herself in an almost regal fashion.

"Yami, Yugi, Bakura, Ryou, and Duke should be finishing soon." Tristan commented, throwing some more kindling on their miniscule flame.

"You burned your finger!" the redhead's eyes filled with worry as she crouched down beside him to take a look. (An: Ok, I just realized I'd been saying she had green eyes when in reality she has brown ones. Please just ignore my past mistakes!)

"I-I'm not used to lighters." He admitted, a faint crimson tinting his cheeks. His crushes face had the slightest mirror image of his own, but he didn't notice it. Isis and Mai, however, did and decided to take note of it for future reference.

"Mai," the female Egyptian whispered in a barely audible voice.

"Yeah?" the blonde's voice mirrored her own.

"I need to talk with Serenity and you later, in private. We'll wait until everyone else is asleep. Pass on the message."

"Mhm." The request was met with an affirmative nod, as the rest of their ragtag group returned to the campsite.

"There, done." Duke grinned, brushing stray needles from himself. They settled down to chat, before something came to mind.

"Uh, guys," everyone turned toward the British boy, "What are we going to eat?" he was met by a perplexed silence.

"Dey d'int 'appen ta teach ya huntin' in dat Boy Scout troup o' yo's, did dey Tristan?" Joey asked hopefully. His friend only shook his head. "Well, den what're we gonna do?"

"What did the yamis do for food in their time?" asked Duke. Everyone turned toward their ancient friends.

"Hey, we haven't got any experience in this." Bakura waved them off, "I stole my food from the market n' I'm sure the pharaoh didn't have to worry about it. Marik probably got his food from working for the pharaoh." Everyone's expressions became downcast and forlorn.

"We'll just have to skip the meals for tonight. In the morning we'll come up with a solution. Nothing's out now, anyway, and it's too dark to go wandering about." Isis reasoned.

"Aiight, guess g'night den." Joey sighed. He was met with a few responses but not a lot. Everyone settled down onto the previously harvested cushioning, and went to rest… except the girls.

"What did you want to talk to us about?" Serenity whispered softly as the girls huddled together in front of the fire.

"It's Malik…" answered Isis forlornly.

"What about him? Is he alright?" Mai inquired worriedly.

"Yeah, Isis, what's up?" The redhead tilted her head curiously.

"He's in love with Téa as well."

"Oh no…"

"What are we going to do, Isis?" the tan woman only shook her head in frustration and disappointment.

"Well," Mai thought aloud, "I have an idea, but I'm not sure…"

"What is it?" Serenity asked.

"We can use all the ideas we can get right now, Mai." The other girl urged.

"See, remember how we decided Marik needed a guy to talk to that he didn't share a negative history with?"

"Yes."

"Well, now I guess we'll need a pair of guys…"

"You're not suggesting Yugi and Yami, are you?" the youngest hissed incredulously.

"Serenity's right, they hate each other."

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of Bakura and Ryou."

"Bakura and Ryou?" they repeated dumbly.

"Just _think_ about it," Mai reasoned, "Ryou doesn't have a negative history with either of them, and Bakura can get along with them when he wants to."

"But how, exactly, are we going to convince them to help?"

"Just leave that to me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now," the blond yawned, "if you'll excuse me, I need some sleep. G'night."

"Good night." Isis whispered back, before she herself snuggled down.

"Night Mai, Isis." They fell asleep in seconds. However, someone else wasn't asleep. He was used to being awake at ungodly hours, and had listened to the three girls' entire conversation.

'_So, they want my hikari and I to help? I wonder what she has in mind to persuade us. Hn, I guess we'll see in the morning.'

* * *

_

An: ok, I know this is the middle of the chapter. However, there is a matter I found **important** and needed to address: ditching stories. This is not a personal insult, but some of you may connect with what I'm saying in a positive, or negative, fashion. It's no problem if you are going to put one on Hiatus if you need a break from it, but if you may not come back to writing it make sure you say it somewhere. There are plenty of places, including an author's note or your bio.

Further more, if you're a member but no longer wish to be one, LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU'RE LEAVING! This is especially bad when you have a large number of fan fictions, like fifteen, in the works. Many loyal reviewers are waiting for an update that never comes. The least you could do is announce your departure so no one's holding his or her breath. In fact, if you're leaving, why keep half written stories up?

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but this really gets on my nerves. I had to put this here because, in my experience, no one reads the ending or beginning author's notes. Ok, now, back to the fic.

* * *

Morning came and the entire group had awoken. They had searched quite a bit, but still were unable to uncover any signs of food or water. Luckily, a select few did have some water bottles with them and shared with those not to proud to accept a bit of charity.

"Guys," Tristan sighed as the group finished packing their things at the campsite, "this is a serious issue. We need food to survive." Kaiba opened his mouth to retort.

"I believe I am able to help with your problem." their heads whipped around to see a girl about Mai's age.

She had silky, hot pink hair held in a bun with two daggers. Pale, white skin contrasted with her vibrant, gold eyes. Her thin, brown eyebrows were mostly covered by her jagged bangs that ended just below her eyes. The strands of hair framing her face swayed swung up no matter how slightly her head moved and bounced about, ending at her chin. She had a rather dull expression on and wore somewhat rugged clothing.

A strapless dress, made of tan leather, laced up with a darker brown leather strip at the center of her bust. The dress ended in the middle of her thighs. She wore a pair of fingerless, slightly darker brown, gloves. The right one reached her elbow, her other to the top of her wrist. They, like the dress, used leather straps to stay closed. Laced up moccasin boots of the same shade and design reached her knees. She was adorned with two armbands, a choker, and a garter on her left thigh. A sash of the same shade rapped around her petite waist. A gold chain hung from her neck with three gold rings attached.

A black bird with a few pink highlights landed on her shoulder. They watched their reflections in its beady black eyes. Turning her head, she stroked it.

"Good boy, Korero." The girl cooed. (An: please remember that I only add necessary OCs. But don't worry, none will be Mary-sues and I'll try to keep their parts to a minimum. Also, if you'd like one of the canons have a _slight_ pairing with her: let me know.)

"Who the hell are you?" Malik asked rudely.

"I am Tahruhu, and this is Korero." She explained, nodding her head in slight greeting. (An: FYI, it's pronounced 'Ta-roo-who' and 'Core-rare-oh'. K?)

"And you want to help us?" Isis inquired unsurely. Smirking, Tahruhu motioned a thumb towards the creature on her shoulder.

"He was watching you guys last night n' heard you were up against Azumamaro."

"So?" Malik prompted.

"Well, the enemy of my enemy is my ally. We shouldn't talk about this out in the open any longer. Follow me and I'll take you to my place so you can get food and supplies. We'll finish this conversation there." Turning, she began to enter the surrounding woods.

"Wait a minute," Bakura's eyes narrowed, "how do we know we can trust you?"

"You'll just have to." She shrugged.

"We haven't any other choice." Yami reasoned with the tomb robber.

"Here, if it makes you feel any better…" she pulled out her daggers, hair falling jaggedly to her shoulder blades. Her palms were open, waiting for someone to retrieve the weapons. Marik promptly snatched them.

"Should we introduce ourselves?" called Serenity.

"No, you can wait 'till we get back. C'mon." This time, they followed her. After about three quarters of a mile, they arrived at a small hut. Entering, they found nothing special: one room, a bunk bed, a fireplace with a pot for cooking, and a small table with four chairs. The bird flew to a perch hanging from the ceiling and landed. It watched them intently as its owner sat down and made herself comfortable. Isis, Serenity and Mai took the other chairs.

"Do you know what this necklace means?" Tahruhu held up the gold chain with the three rings. The gang shook their heads. "It's the symbol of the resistance. We, the resisting force, are the ones planning to stand up to that bastard Azumamaro… eventually. As I mentioned before, I'm aware of your opposition to him, hence my helping you. I'll get some food, explain yourselves while you eat." And they did, introducing themselves and retelling the condensed version of their story as the group nibbled on exiguous portions of some type of jerky and meager servings of water.

**Meanwhile**

Azumamaro entered to find the two girls staring down the doorway. The brunette wore a slightly fearful scowl while the other looked impassive, standing at his entrance and bowing her head in respect. He turned and spoke curtly with her.

"They've arrived. It's only a matter of time before the resistance gets a hold of them. Report anything you hear to me. You are dismissed." He waved a hand and she exited, shutting the door behind her. Seating himself beside Téa, he went to place a hand on her thigh.

"Don't touch me." The venomous words were spat at him as she scooted herself to the furthest end of the bed from her captor. He followed. "I _don't_ want to be near you."

"But I _do_ want to be near _you_." He smirked maliciously, cupping her chin lovingly though not necessarily gently. "Perhaps you would like to rethink your hasty decision earlier. You were shocked, but now that you've had some time to adjust you should understand…"

"Oh, I understand alright." She pushed away his hand. "I understand that _you_ are a disgusting jerk. Stay the hell away from me I don't want anything to do with you."

"Excuse me?" his eyes darkened.

"You've abducted me from my home, touched me without my consent, and beaten me. Hm, I wonder why I don't like you…" her sarcasm was pissing him off.

Before she knew what was happening, she had hit the wall, arms pinned above her head. Azumamaro's vice-like grip instantly bruised her delicate wrists. His hot breath burned her ear as he hissed into it.

"You'd do well never to speak like that to me again, wench." He moved his head down and left a slightly painful love bite on her neck. "I'll send Harukichi with something for you to wear to dinner." He exited shortly there after.

"Oh god…" Téa sunk down to the floor, leaning against the wall. She tilted her head back so it rested on the cool, hard stone. She placed a hand on the mark her captor left. She closed her eyes as salty blue liquid ran down her cheeks.

'_What am I going to do? I'm so scared.'_ Her soft crying became a bit more intense. _'How much longer am I going to have to stay here? And what about my friends? Did they forget about me?'_ Sobs racked her petite frame as she rested her arms on bent knees, using them as a cushion for her head. Her hiccupping mixed with the sounds of convulsive weeping.

Harukichi nearly joined Téa's crying as she entered the room. After placing the cloth on the bed, she bent down to the girl's level; eyes shining with unshed tears and a sad smile decorating her face. She lifted the brunette's chin with a finger and tried to look a bit happier.

"Shhhh." She soothed, enveloping her Téa within her arms, she rubbed her new friend's back comfortingly. "He's not worth crying over." Standing, she offered her hands to the figure, whose eyes were now red and irritated from sobbing.

"T-thank you." The captive wiped her eyes, "God, you must think I'm pathetic, crying like this after you said I had a backbone."

"No." the green-haired woman shook her head, "I don't think you're pathetic at all. Just a bit lost. Here," she turned to the bed, "I'll help you put on your kimono."

"Hn."

"What? Why are you stealing my line?"

"Well, it's just that you're a mix between a close friend and the mother I never really had."

"Hey now, don't get carried away. I'm no older than your friend Isis and you're making it sound as though I'm ancient."

"Sorry. Wow, this Kimono is gorgeous."

"I know, had it made myself. It'll look beter on you, though."

"Thank you, Harukichi."

"Don't mention it."

The two new friends laughed and talked as they prepared and made their way towards the dining hall.

**End Chapter

* * *

**

RS: Tadda! Sorry again for how short it is. Leave me a review! Buh-bye!


	8. Follow the Yellow Brick Road

RS: Haha, yes! I updated in under a month, booya!

Zander: Well whoop-de-do! --'

RS: I believe you mean whoop-de-fuckin-do, but I won't hold it against you! Now, special thanx to

**Sarah1218:** I'm still working on a bribe, if you have any ideas please tell me. Thanx for the great review!

**godoflight:** Wow, I like your style! Being sane is vastly overrated! Thanx for the bitchin' review!

**Kelly:** Here ya go! I think it's cute too, denial can be so adorable! Thanx for your awesome review!

**Lita Maxwell:** I was thinking 'Viva La Resistance'! Now, if only I could remember where it came from… wanna fill me in? Also, Goku's from that new show on adult swim, right? I can't remember… Anyway, thanx for the great input, leave some more!

**Swimmurgirl:** Thanx, I try! I meant Millennium Necklace; I just had a brain cramp. I only remembered that it was in the shape of an eye and typed that down. Oh well, oops! Please leave another review!

**Veronica:** Wow, cool! Thanx for the enthusiastic review! I'm glad you can't wait! Oh dear, I hope I was able to post this update before you fell of your chair… that could be painful. Leave another review, please!

**Dreamer of Dragons:** Wow, thank you so much for the great compliments! I always thought my writing sucked ass, it's nice to know people are supportive! I love made up words, I practically have a dictionary of them! They're so much fun to say, aren't they? I'm not sure how inappropriate this will get, but I hope to keep it clean. No one seems to read my beginning and ending author's notes, and few read other authors (I, however, do), so that seemed like the most logical thing to do. I did read 'A Wrinkle in Time', and thought it was an amazing story. The quote isn't directly from the book, but it is based off of it. Good job catching that!

RS: So, without further ado, on to the chappy! Oh, and btw, it actually has very little to do with 'The Wizard of Oz'.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

Tahruhu's cup slammed down on the table, "That _bastard_! I always knew he was low, but I never knew it'd go this far…" She shook her head sadly. "Anyway, Let me grab you guys some supplies."

They'd informed her of their voyage… to a degree. They'd all silently agreed to leave out the fact that they were from another dimension. They also refrained from mentioning anything about magic, destiny, and the fact that some members of their group were the resurrections of ancient beings. One just doesn't go around telling people about that, it's not right. Also, they didn't want to be committed while in an alternate universe.

She then left them, retreating to a tool shed out back. She returned a few minutes later carrying baskets of meat, canteens, and some weaponry. The food related objects were placed within the group's bags, however they merely held the weapons dumbly.

"Don't tell me none of you can use any of these!" the pink haired girl looked incredulous. While a few of the boys had the gall to look ashamed, most just slammed down their artillery in frustration.

"Wait, that makes no sense," Ryou turned to his friends, "surely the yamis had to defend themselves during their rough times _somehow_."

"Marik, Bakura, and I haven't used any of this in 5,000 years. We couldn't possibly remember now." Yami reasoned seriously.

"Okay, seeing as this is going to take a while as it is, I won't even bother asking." Tahruhu sighed, "Anyway, it will take too long for you all to learn how to wield these. So, you'll just have to make do with what you know. I'll show you a relatively fast, mostly safe route to Azumamaro."

"Thank you." Isis bowed her head slightly in a gracious manner.

"No prob. But, I'll only be able to take you so far. After that, all I can do is point you in the right direction and then you're on your own."

"Understood." The Egyptian answered, bowing once more. The group left the hut. And headed down a clear path, the dirt and leaves packed down from constant trodding. Korero soared high above their heads, leading the way.

"This is the trail toward the Kemah River. Once we get there, follow its flow and head eastward. Azumamaro built his castle directly over part of it for various usages." The native instructed briskly, "If worst comes to worst, you can find a few scant fish in the water, unless the river begins to get dark and turn black. That means you're approaching his territory and at that point I wouldn't even risk taking a sip of the water.

"You can find a few woodland animals in the surrounding forest, but once again they disappear or become tainted after a certain point. The same goes for berries, don't touch _anything_ black. Some red things can be risky as well. Now, listen carefully because this next part is extremely important." She paused and turned to look everyone in the eye. They'd reached the river a few seconds ago and were now standing around, listening to their new alliance's instructions. The black and pink bird circled overhead, seemingly listening in on the conversation.

"Never, under any circumstance, are you to stray so far away from the river that you cannot see it. Especially after you've crossed into Azumamaro's dominion. Further more, once you've seen everything begin to turn black, remain hidden. He sends scouts to roam the territory and they'll attempt to kill you. Don't attempt to fight them, because, trust me, you won't walk away the victor. Be especially careful if you see his right hand lackey. Her name's Harukichi and she will pack the most punch you'll ever see. She has red eyes, green hair, and wears an elegant kimono. Beware her fans and the leaves in her hair.

"I believe that's all you really need to know, so I bid you good luck. I don't suppose you feel incredibly confident at this point, you'd be a fool to. But, fear not for you will not be bothered if you do not bother anything." Upon seeing their confused gazes she threw her head back and laughed, "Perhaps you will understand the words I speak by the end of your journey. For all that is good, bring your friend home. In fact, I will give you one last thing to aid you on your journey."

"You've done so much for us, what more could you possibly give?" Serenity smiled an appreciative smile, one that was quickly returned by the older female. At that moment, Korero landed on Isis's shoulder.

"Only him. The looks on your faces tell me you seem to think I'm sending you a complication, but, believe me, you will understand his worth. Farewell." The group said their goodbyes and started off, the first real part of their journey finally starting. Their newest companion soared overhead, appearing to revel in the feel of wind flowing through its feathers.

"I'm I the only one who got an odd feeling from that girl?" Duke asked as soon as they were out of sight and sound of their original location. Mai giggled.

"That was only because she kept shooting you glances. It was obvious she liked you… though I couldn't imagine why." The group snickered a bit while he looked slightly put off.

"Well, she was a little too odd for my tastes."

"Hey, speakin' o' likin'," Joey grinned, "you heard from dat Hawkins girl lately, Yug'?"

"What's this?" Marik taunted, "Little Yugi having a crush?" he and Bakura did their whole evil, mocking snicker thing.

"Oh, leave him alone! Besides," Tristan grinned, "It's the opposite. Rebecca seems quite taken with him… wait, scratch that, this girl qualifies as obsessed." Joey looked thoughtful for a moment.

"D'ya think she's a stalkuh?" the group sweat dropped.

"Uh, Joey, hasn't Téa already explained this to you?" Joey opened his mouth to answer but was cut off, "Multiple times."

"She's right hun," Mai giggled, "You have to be a bit worse than she is to be considered a stalker."

"I half agree with Joey, she's only one step down."

"Yeah! See, Tris' agrees wit me!" he earned some odd looks.

"Dude, since when do you call me 'Tris'?"

"Well it makes sense, I guess." Yugi pondered thoughtfully, "I mean, your name is _Tris_tan."

"Whatever, it's not important." As the brunette shook his head, Serenity began biting her lip. The group stopped to stare at her as a few scant giggles escaped her mouth, her cheeks red with blush and sides feeling as though they'd explode if she didn't let it out soon. She turned and whispered something in Mai's ear, causing the blond bombshell to mirror her appearance.

"What's their problem?" Bakura looked them up and down, somewhat disgusted. Then, the two girls finally cracked. The group took a step back, watching them roll across the ground in mirth. Finally, five minutes and multiple instances of near asphyxiation later, they were able to catch their breath but had to stand doubled over and clutching their stomachs.

"What was that all about?" Duke asked, a tad freaked out.

"Nothing," the elder breathed out, shaking her head, "just an inside joke between Téa and us. You boys… wouldn't understand." The girls shared one more giggle before standing up and walking on.

"Aren't you guys coming?" Serenity called back innocently. Shaking their heads, the others followed. Isis pulled up next to the girls.

"I don't qualify as one of the boys, do I?" she smirked slightly.

"We have a list of some of the gayest things guys can do, and that, saying 'whatever' I mean, was towards the top of the list." Serenity explained before quickly adding, "Not that we have anything against homosexuals or anything! It's just- we- I mean-… ugh." She hung her head.

"It's alright," the raven-haired woman chuckled, "I understand. And it is quite humorous… at least he didn't he didn't do the hand thing." The other girls looked at each other, brows furrowed, before turning back for and explanation. Isis merely lifted her arm, before allowing her hand to hang limp at the wrist somewhat femininely.

"Oh god, we have to stop now." The youngest girl choked out laughing, "We're being horrible and completely cruel to gays."

"Yes, you're right, that was wrong of me."

"Anyway, moving on, who's going to go talk with the walking snowmen?" Mai received weird looks, "Ok bad joke… I meant Bakura and Ryou."

"Oh, well maybe we could all talk to them?" Serenity offered, but the others shook their heads.

"No, that would be far too overwhelming. I'll talk to them next time we break for a rest." Mai and Serenity nodded in confirmation and the three's conversation quickly shifted towards other topics. Meanwhile, the boys behind them were having a conversation of their own.

"Do you guys… never mind." Yugi shook his head, looking down.

"What is it?" Ryou asked, his brow furrowed with slight concern.

"Well, do you think she's… I don't know, hurt or anything?" they remained quiet, even Bakura had the decency not to tell him the truth.

"I'm sure the wench is fine." He stated gruffly, pretending not to care, "If this guys likes her so much, what's the worst he'd do? He wouldn't let any harm come to her if he's taken so much care in the past."

"Thank you." The yami's head whipped around, shock staining his handsome face as he gazed at the master duelist. The short boy's eyes stared back up at him, shining with a new respect he'd never before been on the receiving end of. He stared back down warily.

"For what?" He'd managed to force his voice to remain harsh and refrained from allowing any uneasiness or shock to leak in.

"Lying, not laughing in my face, coming with us. Everything, really."

"I didn't come to help, I came because my baka hikari wouldn't last a second here." He spat back in denial.

"Then why didn't you just take control until we'd left?" Marik taunted, a rather evil smirk gracing his lips. He knew Bakura really did care about the girl and, whether he'd admit it or not, she was one of his only friends. She opened her heart to everyone, trusting even those who had betrayed her so cruelly in the past. He wouldn't just leave her there, with that creep, to rot. He couldn't, because he cared far too much about her to do so with a healthy conscience. There was also the fact that Ryou'd never speak to him again if they hadn't come.

"He'd have been whining the entire time you guys were gone if I hadn't." he hissed angrily, jabbing a thumb at his closest companion.

"Sure," Marik drawled, "whatever you say." All was quiet for a while.

'_I hope Bakura's right; it would certainly be a shock for her to be brought down by this one guy after all we've been through together.'_ Yami mused as they all walked along, _'And I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad that we have Kaiba, Malik, Bakura, and even Marik here to help us. It's good to know they all care for her at least a little, even if it will cause slight tension amongst the group.'_

"Does anyone know how long we've been walking?" Malik finally broke the silence around the boys who, up until then, were only able to amuse themselves by attempting to listen in on the girls. That, they soon found out, was not so interesting and could be downright disturbing, depending on the topic. So, they'd resorted to doing things such as daydreaming, kicking stones as the walked, and counting the seconds in 'Mississippi's. Joey, at one point, had begun humming 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road', but it didn't go over to well. Kaiba glanced at his watch. (An: FYI, I don't own 'The Wizard of Oz')

"It's 12:00 now, but I don't know what time we started so I can't tell you how long it's been. Why do you want to know?" Kaiba asked, his answer only being a yawn from Serenity.

"I've got 7,200 Mississippis." Tristan called.

"Also, the sun was over there before," said Isis to the rest of the group, "And now it's up there, so I'd say we've been walking for two hours."

"Really? It feels like less."

"Really? It feels like mo'." Mai and Joey thought aloud in the same moment, before turning to eachother.

"How c'n ya tink it was less? Weren't ya countin' how long we've been goin'? 7, 200 secon's! D'ya know how many minutes dat is? It's…" he stopped to ponder the answer, while counting on his fingers. This caused the entire group to sweat drop.

"120, Joey." They chorused boredly, still walking the entire while.

"Yeauh! N' in houhs dat's…" they were reliving mere seconds ago.

"It's 2 hours, Joey." At least his time he had the decency to look a tad sheepish.

"I think the point Joey's trying to make is it's time for us to rest." The blonde's younger sister interpreted, yawning once more.

"I agree with Serenity," Tristan pitched in, "we're all tired."

"Then why don't we stop walking?" asked Ryou confusedly.

"Oh… good point." They all stopped, collapsing to the ground immediately. Most crawled over to the river and began sucking down its refreshing water, while others lied down and closed their eyes.

"Bakura… Bakura!" Isis said beneath her breath at the white haired boy sitting against a tree, eyes closed and arms behind his head. He cracked one eye open to glance at her before re-closing it to answer agitatedly.

"What? And _why_ are you whispering?" she rolled her eyes.

"Can I speak with you for a moment? In private?" He now gazed at her with two suspicious, brown orbs. He had a bad feeling about it, but he went with her anyway. They found themselves behind a tree, still in clear view of both the Kemah River and the rest of the group, who were still resting, ignorant of the two's disappearance.

"Now, what do you want?" he asked rudely, cranky from lack of rest.

"As you know," the older woman explained, "Marik has a certain attraction to Téa. I have recently learned that, because of the two's mental connection, Malik shares the same feelings. However, it is common knowledge that she doesn't… return their affection, per say. I was thinking that they might need someone, a guy, to confide in. You and Ryou are somewhat tolerant of them, so I thought that perhaps you'd be the best ones for the job." Her head snapped up as he began laughing.

"So _that's_ what this is all about." He leaned his right shoulder against the tree beside him, arms crossed and an amused smirk gracing his lips. "You want to call in a favor." Isis scowled.

"Just forget," she hissed, "I don't even know why I bothered."

"I never said we wouldn't do it." She spun around to meet his face, still grinning but now with one cocked eyebrow.

**Meanwhile**

"There, done." Harukichi stepped back to examine her work.

Téa was dressed in a simple yet elegant kimono, pink with red and white flowers adorning in. The fabric wrapping around her waste was a vibrant red, and her hair was done up in a bun with a single white flower sticking out of the top, left side. Two bits of hair were left out to frame her face, which was wearing a light amount of make-up.

Along with her usual cover-up, thin layer of pink blush sat barely visible on her pale cheeks and her mouth shimmered with lip-gloss of the same shade. Smoky eye shadow and eyeliner finished the look, surrounding her dull, blue eyes. All in all, she appeared sexy yet innocent at the same time. Her incessant pouting was what probably brought the entire thing together. The other girl gave a sad smile.

"You look beautiful." She offered, hoping to cheer the girl up.

"I feel beautiful, and I thank you for everything. But…" her voice faded.

"You feel like it's wasted on him, don't you?" Téa nodded, sniffling.

"No!" Harukichi jumped up in mock alarm, "Don't cry, it'll take forever to fix your make-up!" the younger girl laughed half-heartedly.

"Thanks, Harukichi, for everything. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here to help me through things… ya know, it's weird."

"What is?" what was she getting at?

"Us. I mean, what's going on is so stupid but so right. It's probably completely naïve of me to just warm right up to you after we just met this morning, but I already feel like you're my best friend and I could tell you anything. And, what I mean to say is, it means a lot that you're so kind and tolerant of me, even if you have to be."

There was silence for a few minutes, the older woman's eyes watering at her new friend's heart-felt words.

"No, thank you. No one's ever said anything like that to me before. I've always been the fall girl, just another one of Azumamaro's expendable henchmen. You're the first person to ever be kind to me, and for that I am forever in your debt. Now," she wiped her eyes, giggling a bit "Let's get you down to dinner. We wouldn't want to keep him waiting, now would we?" smiling, Téa stood and followed her companion.

The brunette couldn't help but hug herself and rub her own arms as the past through the dank passages, Harukichi just ahead of her. It had such a dreary, foreboding feel to it that frightened the living daylights out of her. She felt as though her very soul's warmth was being sucked out of her by the castle and that, no matter what she did, she create enough friction on her arms to heat them up.

"Cold, sweetie?" the green-haired woman asked, pausing for her to catch up.

"No," she answered honestly, still holding herself "just a little freaked out. These hallways are so…" Téa shivered, causing the other to laugh.

"I know what you mean, but you get used to it after a while… what was that you said?" Harukichi turned her head, not quite hearing what the other girl had muttered. She'd only caught bits of it, was it something about people having forgotten about existence?

"It's just that-"

"Tell me later."

"Why?"

"Because we're here."

The younger female's head shot up, cerulean orbs beginning to fill with crystalline tears. She blinked them away, hardening her face and turning her usually soft and joyful sapphires into cobalt blocks of ice. She clenched her shaking hands into tight fists, affectively stilling them. Lifting her chin up, she stood with a confident appearance and calm demeanor. Her body steady, she reached forth and opened the door. She entered the dining hall, secretly fearful of her impending doom.

**End Chapter

* * *

**

RS: Ha! I leave you with an evil cliffy, what'll happen when Azumamaro sees Téa? And, what will Ryou, Malik, and Marik think of the new 'companionship'? All that and more in the next update, which I'll put up… (Ponders) when I write it! '

Zander: Who cares? I'm just glad this part's finally over!

RS: Grr… shut-up! You and I both know my stories aren't that bad! (Sighs) Anyway, R & R please!


End file.
